Gan: The Beginning
by Inchiki
Summary: The first arc of Gan! (set during canon) Hotaru's a straight up trecherous little twat. Everyone knows that. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they really have a choice. They have to deal with her. Will her day of reckoning ever come? And if it does, will it be too late for the boys to avoid being dragged down with her? KuramaxOC
1. Chapter 1: Surprised to be Dead!

**A/N:** If you're looking to read Gan and never have before, this is the place to start! So.. uh... welcome to Arc One.

A few things you should know before we begin:

1. This isn't a story about heros and villains, or victims and saviors, or good guys and bad guys. There _will_ be moral ambiguity and there _will_ be sides of characters, canon or not, that may not be entirely pleasant to read about. No one is a saint, in real life _or_ in the canon, and they aren't portrayed as such. Some readers have had a problem with this, so I'm just warning you about it now: do not expect knights-in-shining armor.

2. This story follows along very closely with the canon. It's not just set during the same time, it's set directly around the events. If you're unfamiliar with the canon, it may be a tad confusing, at least during this first arc.

3. There are many things that are brought up in the story that aren't explained right away. Many things, if not most things, should not be taken at face value- characters lie to other characters, key pieces of information or explanations are omitted, and sometimes the character from whom we are getting a point of view is as ignorant of the truth as you (the reader) are. There may be things mentioned that are not fully explained, or there may be instances when people act in somewhat strange ways and it's not immediately explained why- but _don't worry_. These things will be explained _eventually_. It may be in the next chapter, or it may be all the way in the 6th arc, but everything (and I mean _everything)_ is explained by the end.

4. The numbers listed above may seem like warnings, or bad points, or they may seem like good points depending on what you're looking for. If those are all things that _don't_ bother you, then I can also say this: this story is long, it's pretty complex, and it gets pretty intense. This story is, as one reviewer has called it, really more of a mystery than anything. The story is not a reaction to the events of the canon- it's constructed to be an _explanation_ of why those events transpired. It continues beyond the canon as well, into a large, over arching plot that is intimately connected with _every_ canon character and _every _canon event.

Basically, if you're looking for a self-insert type of story, or something about how pretty Kurama is and how sweet of a boyfriend he could be, this is _not_ the story for you (though there is no shame in wanting a story like that! I read them all the time).

If, however, you're looking for a story that goes _way_ _too far_- one in which no one can be trusted, everything is intentional, and _everyone_ has their own secrets, as well as one in which small, inconspicuous bits of information tie into grand, over-arching hidden plots- this is something I hope you'll read.

And with that, we'll begin!

* * *

**The Meaning of Gan**

"wish"

"foolishness"

"cruelty"

"perfection"

"eye"

"imitation"

"understanding"

"cancerous evil"

* * *

**Arc One**

**The Beginning**

_Prologue_

It was a calm, quiet afternoon in Sarayashiki city. It was nice weather, sunny with a calm wind. Near downtown, on a street corner, there stood a young man, no older than 30, impatiently tapping his foot. He looked at his watch, then down the street, then at his watch again. He was about to pull out his cellphone when finally, whoever he was waiting for arrived. She pulled up in a small, silver sedan next to him and stepped out of the driver's side, leaving the engine running.

"Getting your nails done or something?" he asked angrily, walking to the driver's side as the woman switched into the passenger seat.

She scowled at him, "It's not like I just sit around waiting for you to call."

He buckled his seatbelt and pulled back out into the road, "Still though, if I say 'emergency' I expect you to hurry up, at least a little bit."

The man turned a few sharp corners at a high speed and she grabbed the arm rest. "Slow down a bit, would you? This car's expensive."

"Doesn't look it."

"You some sort of authority on that?" she retorted. They fell into silence again, before she spoke up once more, "I really don't understand this."

"Well you don't _need _to understand it."

"This is _my _car you're about to fuck up."

"I'll find someone to fix it for you."

"Of course you will..." her tone was sarcastic. "Like I said, this doesn't make any sense."

"It does make sense, now would you relax?"

"It's hard to relax when you're driving my car like a maniac!"

"You have like six cars! What's one more?"

"This is my favorite though!" she whined.

He signed impatiently, turning another corner faster than expected, "Well next time don't bring your favorite car when I tell you we're about to kill a kid with it."

They rounded another corner and pulled over to the side.

She huffed impatiently, "What, so now we just sit and wait?"

"Yea, we sit and wait. See that guy over there?" he asked, pointing to a young teenager on the sidewalk. He had slicked back black hair and was wearing a green school uniform. At the moment, he appeared to be playing with some little boy, dancing around with a soccer ball in his pants and chopsticks up his nose.

The woman looked a bit disgusted. "You can't be serious... "

"Unfortunately, I am."

"_That's _the kid?"

"Yep." The man was about as happy about it as she was.

"Bullshit. There's no way _he_ would be interested in _that_."

"Well, I'd agree with you, but that's what he said. That's the kid, and I'm not exactly in a position to argue."

"I don't know why you help that guy..."

"Well I don't know why you do half the things you do, so I guess we're even."

They sat, watching the punk kid on the street. Suddenly, the little kid wandered into the road, chasing his ball. The man revved the engine.

"Oh, you mean the _little_ kid?"

"No, I meant the big one," repeated the man, pulling the car out into the street and charging it forward.

"Then why are you-"

"It's either this or wait for him to j-walk."

"What?"

"He'll jump out and save him."

"What?! That's crazy."

"Just shut up, would you?!"

"I'm not letting you kill some random human with my car just in case the other one _might_ try to save him."

"Just shut up and laugh."

"What?"

"Laugh damn it!" he yelled, "I need to look like I'm distracted."

"I don't think it's going to make much of a difference whether you look-"

"Just laugh, would you?!"

She started laughing a strange, forced laugh. She glared at him the whole time as she choked out odd, strained chuckles. He glared back at her, forcing out a similar strained laugh. "See, isn't this fun?" he said between teeth clenched in a fake smile. Suddenly, something came into the man's peripheral vision and he slammed on the breaks just a little too late, sending the young teen from before crashing into the hood of the car and slamming him back against the pavement.

The car skidded to a stop a few meters in front of him. "I told you it would work. Now try your best to look upset or something, okay?" said the man before jumping out of the car. "Oh my god, I didn't- the child he... oh god! I didn't mean to!" he screamed as he fell to his knees, "I swear I didn't mean to!"

**King Enma**

He sat in his chair, his knees aching. He always had knee aches, and headaches, and backaches... He contemplated going to soak in the hot springs a few kilometers from his palace as a simple remedy to relieve the tension.

Pain shot through one of his temples and he put two fingers to it, trying to rub it out, though it remained persistent. _Perhaps I should call it a day,_ he thought to himself. He was about to get up to leave, when the doors to his throne room creaked open.

A young girl, appearing no older than her late teens, stormed in on heavy feet. She was short, even when compared to a human, and wore the typical clothes of a modern human girl: high-waisted jeans and a simple t-shirt. Her hair was black and cut to about her chin, sticking out in all directions and hid under a floppy white cap and from beneath her bangs her large brown eyes looked determined. Truth be told, she wasn't much to look at- with her disheveled appearance and skinny, shapeless body, she wasn't considered a beauty. And today, with her crazy eyes, she looked even less appealing.

"What is it, Hotaru?"

She approached his throne, fearless, as she normally was, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. "Are you trying to fuck with me?"

"Pardon?" Enma replied, rubbing his temples a bit harder as his headache continued to grow, most likely due to her presence.

She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "Don't play dumb. I know you killed him on purpose."

He sighed. "I honestly have no idea what you're speaking of."

"I'm talking about Yusuke, you ass!" she yelled, stomping her foot like a petulant child.

"Who is Yusuke?"

"Ah... aha... HA HA HA," she yelled, bits of spit flying from her open, angry mouth. "So it's just a coincidence that the boy I'm about to recommend for spirit detective gets hit by some anonymous jackass?"

"It would seem that way."

"You're honestly saying you know nothing about it?"

"I honestly don't. On my honor as King."

She glared up at him, tapping her foot. After a moment of silence she resigned, hanging her head and sighing. She looked up at him again, her expression completely changed, eyelashes fluttering and her lips pouting in a shy smile. "I was just kidding, you know that right? I think you're super cool - I know you'd never try to sabotage me."

She appeared to be waiting for a response, but he refused to oblige.

"But you know..." she began again, "It looks like someone tried to, and I don't know who, but it would be really great if you could maybe do me just the _tiniest_ little favor?"

His head would not stop pounding. "Does it have to do with this human child you spoke of?"

"... maybe..."

He was too tired for this. "You want him brought back to life, is that it?"

"... maybe..."

"Why exactly?"

"I already said! So he can be the new spirit detective!"

"That position hasn't been filled in 10 years and I have no intention to fill it now," he stated calmly.

She smiled up at him- that wide, shining smile she was so known for- and clasped her hands together, "Will you do it? Please? I promise he'll be a good one! You can trust me on this!"

"What did I just say?" he replied, irritated. "I have no intention of bringing on another spirit detective, especially after what you did to the last one."

Her face fell a bit, but she did her best to retain her smile, "Oh come on, you can't blame me for that!"

"I most certainly _can_."

"Okay fine, but this guy isn't like that! He's normal! He'll be really good, I promise!"

"You're recommendations aren't worth much, Hotaru."

"I'll do anything you ask in return!"

She remained in the same spot, looking up at him with her wide smile and bright eyes, awaiting his response. He tried to mull it over rationally, considering the pros and cons, but his headache would not allow it and he buckled quicker than he would have liked. "Fine, I'll bring him back."

She beamed at him. "Oh thank y-"

"On a few conditions..."

"Anything!"

"One, you are not to interfere with this detectives operations. At all."

"But-"

"Do not argue. You proved your incompetence with such things with the last detective. My son will handle his assignments exclusively."

"That's not fair!" she exclaimed, suddenly a child again, "You know that Koenma was just as responsible as I was for Sensui's craziness! You can't do this!"

"I can do whatever I wish to- I am the King of Reikai."

"But that's nepotism!"

"And this is a monarchy."

She fell silent- truly, he had a point. Shuffling her feet and pouting she asked, "So, is that it?"

"No. Ogre!" he shouted. An red ogre, the largest and scariest of the ogres in Reikai, ran in and took a knee before the king. "Bring Hotaru file number A156E17.7." He was gone as quickly as he had arrived.

Hotaru cocked an eyebrow at him. "Some case you want me to work on?"

"Yes. Some of my sources report a hole is being constructed to Makai by some powerful people. I want you to go examine it and stop them if you can, in exchange for me granting your 'project' his title."

"Powerful?" she questioned. "King Enma, with all due respect, I'm not exactly the best person to deal with 'powerful' people."

"I think you'll find yourself perfectly suited to the task. Those are my conditions. Fulfill them if you want, or don't, I don't care. But if you don't, understand, I will not hesitate to kill the boy myself as punishment."

**Kurama**

The room was dark, with a fowl stench that even his human nose could pick up. He thanked the gods he no longer has his demon form and it's superior senses, or undoubtedly he wouldn't have been able to stomach it. He sat in a chair nearest the hospital bed, listening to the beeps and buzzing of the machines. He would have found the noises irritating, as he had never much liked human technology, but now he found them comforting- every beep and buzz meant his mother was still alive.

She was laying in the hospital bed next to his chair, asleep, as she often was nowadays. Kurama watched her sleep, unsure if it was guilt or fear that crippled him the most. Her eyes fluttered open and within an instant he was up, doing his best to smile for her.

"Shuuichi? You're still here?" she asked weakly.

It was nice to hear her voice. "Yes, mother, I'm still here."

"Shuuichi, you should be at home," she replied. Her voice was weak, though whether that was from sleep or her illness he couldn't tell. She had fallen ill about a month ago- it had been sudden and very unexpected. She was middle aged, but had always been healthy. She ate well and exercised frequently and due to the money that Kurama's father had left behind in his will, she lived comfortably without the stress of many working-age Japanese. She smiled at him, a soft, loving, yet sad smile. "You spend too much time here."

"I would much rather spend my time here than at home," he told her. It was true- he had been taking good care of the house since she had been hospitalized, but it felt empty without her in it. Unable to sleep within those cold walls, he had been spending most of his time either at the hospital or at school, sleeping next to her bed or secretly on the school campus when she sent him away.

"What about your school work? If you spend all your time fretting over me you won't be able to pass your classes..."

"I'm doing as well as ever in school, mother, don't worry about me. You need to think about yourself for now."

She leaned back and closed her eyes. "How did I ever end up with such a wonderful son?"

The doctor's hadn't been able to diagnose her. At first they say it was an infection, but when the tests came back negative, they had moved on to more serious diagnoses. However, they found no cancerous cells, no nerve damage, no organ failure, and eventually ruled it a medical mystery. They could treat her symptoms, they said, but without knowing the origin the best they could hope for was that she would fight whatever was happening to her on her own.

That's when Kurama had taken it upon himself to find the answer. He had been using the school's biology lab, as well as his own garden at home, to cultivate several known medicinal remedies from the Makai. It was slow work- his spirit energy was not what it once was- but he had managed to come up with several treatments. Some managed to improve her health momentarily, but within days she would fall back into her old symptoms.

"Did the doctors come by?" she asked. That was her way of saying she was in pain and sought some form of relief- she never complained directly to him. Every day she said the same things, "I'm feeling much better today," and "The doctors say I'm improving," but Kurama knew the truth of it.

"No, they haven't yet," he replied. He wished he had something else to give her, but he had given her the last of his remedies the previous day. "Did the one they gave you yesterday work?"

"Oh yes, I'm feeling much better. That medicine is really working wonders." She didn't want him to worry, and he knew that was a sign that it hadn't had any effect.

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied. He seemed to lie to her just as frequently as she did to him. If she knew how worried he truly was, he knew she'd feel guilty, and the guilt would only slow her recovery... if she ever were to recover.

He was out of options. He knew what he had to do now.

He picked up his book bag and looked back at her sullenly, "Mother, I'm so sorry, but I have to go."

"Oh?" she seemed disappointed, though only for a moment, "Yes... yes you should. Go home and get some sleep- I'll be alright."

He kissed her lightly on the forehead, "You get some rest too. I'll stop by again in the morning before I go to school."

"Shuuichi, I've told you before, you don't-"

"I know I don't have to, mother," he replied with a sad smile, "I _want_ to."

He could tell she was trying not to look too eager. "Then I suppose it's not my place to tell you not to. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you, Shuuichi."

"I love you too, mother. See you tomorrow."

**Sakyou**

Sakyou sat, lounging in a large, black leather chair. He had set up a nice place to sit directly in front of his special room and could see everything happening within it through a 5" thick glass panel. In his left hand he held a cigarette and within his right he held a glass of scotch. Within the room, a group of highly trained, and highly payed, human scientists were at work- he didn't understand their work, he had never been much for scientific pursuits, but he did appreciate it.

Beyond the wall of white coats stood the machine they had designed- eight powerful lasers, all converging into one large, black space and seemed to pulsate like a beating heart. It was only about a meter across, but just that had cost him nearly all his fortune. To his left stood the Toguro brothers- the younger standing stoically with his hands in his pockets and the older perched on his shoulders like some sort of ugly bird.

The door into his observation room opened and from outside he could hear some a commotion. One of his serving men entered and was followed by two security guards. Between the two guards, held off the ground by her arms, was a familiar face that scowled in his direction.

"Ah, Hotaru. What a pleasant surprise," he said, not bothering to stand to greet her properly. "You may release her."

The guards let loose their grips and dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground. She flipped them off. "I told you he knew me. Assholes."

Sakyou waved the guards away and they shut the door behind them.

"Your guards are dicks."

"They're supposed to be." Hotaru had already moved to his trolley and was pouring herself a glass of his most expensive brandy. "Please, help yourself," he said. Normally he would cut off a man's hand for touching his alcohol without permission, but this was Hotaru- if one became irritated every time she was rude or classless, they'd drive themselves mad.

She walked over to the window, her eyes wide as she watched the scientists in their white coats fret over their delicate and intricate machine. "Jeez, you really went all out with this, huh?"

"It's true, I spared no expense, 70 billion overall, but it's for a good cause."

She cocked an eyebrow in his direction, incredulous. "70 billion for _that_? Where the hell did you get that kind of money?"

"I make good investments," he replied, admiring his work once again. "Unlike some people."

"Is that a shot at me?"

"Well, you are bankrupt, aren't you?"

"I prefer the term 'between paychecks'."

"Yes, that would work well, except you don't have a job," he replied with an amused smile.

She downed the glass of brandy as quickly as she had poured it and went back for another. Once her glass was full, almost too full, she walked over and plopped down on the leather seat next to him, slouching down and sipping her brandy.

"Bad day?"

"Ugh, you have no idea."

"Reikai causing you problems?" he asked. Truthfully, he didn't care one way or the other, but he figured she was hear for a reason.

"Reikai is _always _causing me problems."

"Some other problem then?"

"Well, it's more like a disaster, but basically, yea," she said, though her voice did not sound sullen or irritated. She reached over and grabbed a cigarette from his pack on the table. She lit it, took a drag, and then turned to him with that sweet smile of hers that always meant trouble for him. "Speaking of which... I have a _slight_ request."

"Which is?"

"Well... I _kinda_ need you to shut this shit down." She made the statement casually and with a smile, seemingly without a second thought as to how much money he would lose by doing that.

"No."

"Oh come on," she pleaded, acting as if he was somehow being unfair. "We're friends, right?"

"Are we?" This was an honest question.

"Of course we are! It's always been you and me, buddy! The great Hotaru and the even _greater_ Mr. Sakyou, right?"

"I wasn't aware," he replied calmly, with more amusement than malice. "Hotaru, tell me, is this a personal favor your asking of me, or are you here on behalf of Reikai?"

She scratched the back of her head. "It's kind of both, I guess."

"You told them you'd shut down my project in exchange for something?"

"Yea, it's kinda like that," she began, "But it's also for your own good, you know! I mean, come on, buddy, this is like... balls to the wall insane."

"Is it?"

"What? Uh... yea. Definitely. Yes. It is."

"I'm afraid I can't agree," he shifted his gaze from her back to his project. The beautiful project he had spent his fortune on. The project that would be his life's work.

Hotaru sat up in her seat, pointing accusingly at the tunnel in the next room, "Do you have any idea what's on the other side of that thing?"

"I think I have some idea," he replied casually.

She rolled her eyes at this. "Don't be an ass. I realize you've had your fair share of blood orgies or whatever the fuck you guys do but the guys on the other side of that tunnel are different. They're stronger. And they've been craving human flesh for fucking years already."

"Let them come. I'll gladly fight whatever demon crawls through that hole," said the younger of the Toguro brothers, whom had remained silent so far.

Hotaru gave him a sarcastic smile, "Good for you. Now shut up, the adults are talking."

"I work for Sakyou," began Toguro, "but that doesn't mean he can stop me from ripping your head off."

Sakyou laughed, "Oh I wouldn't try to stop you."

Hotaru looked from one to the other and stood, slamming the brandy onto the table. "Look, I get it, you guys think you're fucking badasses or whatever. But I assure you- those demons would tear you apart."

"I would relish the challenge," Toguro replied with a smile.

"Yea, for like five minutes- then you'd _literally _be dust."

Sakyou took this opportunity to stand as well, and moved towards the window. "I think you're misunderstanding my purpose, Hotaru. I do not wish to kill the demons on the other side, in fact it's quite the opposite. I want to set them free."

"No, yea, I got that, but fucking _why_?"

He turned back to meet her gaze and spoke seriously, or as seriously as he could muster- he was not a serious man. "I want to see the end of the world."

At this Hotaru threw her hands up in the air, "It's official- you're 100% a crazy person. Really, I don't get why you humans are so obsessed with the end of the world."

He did not respond, just turned to look back at his masterpiece. She finished her second cup of brandy and went back for a third.

He looked to the Toguro brothers and gave them a knowing smile before walking over to the bar, "I have no intention of shutting down my project on the orders of Reikai. However..."

She looked up at him, smiling from ear to ear, "'_However'_?"

"However," he began again, "I might be willing to make a deal. Or rather, a wager. Shall we play a game?"

"What, like cards?" her smile grew wicked.

"Hotaru, I have more sense than to challenge you at cards. I know your reputation."

She thought for a moment and then her face twisted into disgust, "You don't mean one of those weird pervert games, do you?"

"With _you?_"

"Don't say it like that!"

He shook his head, laughing at the absurdity of it, and continued, "No, what I mean to propose is a simpler game than that. You simply find a fighter to represent you and he can face off against my friends there." He signaled to the Toguro brothers and the older one cackled wickedly.

Hotaru still seemed skeptical. "I can use _anyone_?"

"Anyone. I have faith in my men. If you win, I will stop the project, but if I win, you use your demon power to advance my cause."

She didn't even take time to think. "Deal. You're going fucking _down_, bro."

**Hiei**

Hiei sat on a tree branch, leaning up against the trunk, and scowled. It had been two years since he came to Ningenkai to look for his sister and he had yet to find her. He knew she was here somewhere, he had heard the rumors of a koorime wandering about, looking for her lost brother, and had promised himself that he wouldn't leave till he found her. Despite that, he still often dreamed of returning to the Makai. He hated the way humans smelled and hated the way their cities smelled even more. He often preferred to stay on the outskirts, but had recently been stalking Meiou city, the city where that fox Kurama played at being human.

Though he didn't understand his desire to fit in with these lowlives, he otherwise found Kurama's company tolerable- more than he could say for most- and had even found him to be useful in a few matters. It was for this reason, as well as for his reputation that he held within his past life, that Hiei had come to him with his proposal nearly three weeks past.

It hadn't been his idea- he had been approached by a low-level demon named Gouki. Gouki was stupid, truly, and weak, but he had been powerful enough to sense Hiei's demon energy and smart enough to know Hiei was a valuable asset, and that was enough. That besides, he had some good ideas.

He had told Hiei of two powerful items in a poorly guarded vault in the Reikai. Hiei had never been to the Reikai, but he had had encounters with some of the beings from that world and he didn't care for them. He would have liked to steal there stuff merely to piss them off, but from what Gouki had said the items they were to steal were also tempting.

Hiei had been promises the koumaken, a powerful sword with a fierce reputation. Hiei had always liked swords, ever since he was a child, and this one was reported to have power over humans- it could turn any human he liked into a demon. He didn't plan on turning anyone with it, but he did enjoy the idea of replacing his old, standard blade with one of such a dark reputation and power.

He had gone to Kurama to ask him to assist them, but Kurama had initially refused. He claimed he was trying to live an honest life, or some such nonsense, and Hiei had called the plan off then and there. He was no fool- robbing the Reikai would be a suicide mission without someone like Kurama there. However, he hadn't given up hope on Kurama changing his mind and had been stalking Meiou ever since, waiting for him to come around.

Hiei then, sitting within the tree, felt Kurama's energy approaching and smiled to himself. It seemed that his patience had not been in vain.

He dismounted from the tree and met Kurama half way through the park. "Have you finally come to your senses?" he asked simply.

Kurama looked grave, and not in the mood for chit-chat, but Hiei wasn't the chatty type and didn't mind his bluntness, "When can we leave?"

"Gouki heard that the king will be leaving next month."

"I can't wait that long."

That struck a nerve, "If you make someone wait for a month, don't be surprised when they tell you to wait in return."

"It will make no difference if we go tonight."

"Have you always been this stupid or is tonight a special occasion?"

Kurama's eyes were serious, almost threatening. If Hiei were a lesser demon he might have taken it as a real threat, but even with Kurama's skill, he had been living in the human world for 15 years and was in no position to make proper threats to anyone.

Hiei turned to walk away, "We'll meet in the forest between here and Mushiyori in one month. If you can't wait that long, that's your problem."

With that, Hiei left, bounding up into the trees, not bothering to wait for a reply. If Kurama had returned, it meant he was serious, and Hiei figured a 1000 year old demon could stand to wait another 30 days. Perhaps in that time Kurama would return to his senses- they would need them, if they hoped to succeed and he had no desire to waste his time protecting some overly emotional spirit fox, no matter how dark the sword's reputation may be.

* * *

Hotaru - 螢 - Firefly - a young girl, small in stature and in build with large wide eyes and a cute smile. An adviser and information broker for numerous, occasionally conflicting groups.

Ningenkai - 人間界 - Human World - One of the three lower realms and one of the five total realms. Protected and ruled over secretly by Reikai.

Makai - 魔界 - Demon World - One of the three lower realms and one of the five total realms. No longer protected or ruled over by Reikai.

Reikai - 霊界 - Spirit World - One of the three lower realms and one of the five total realms. The realm in which King Enma's dynasty operates- they rule the entirety of the world, which is mostly vacant. The previous entities of this world are gone, with the exception of native plants and animals. The only form of civilization within Reikai is King Enma's palace, which is massive with numerous floors. There are also the Tenbatsuchi (天罰地）, which are small contained dimensions located within Reikai where the souls of dead Ningenkai residents are sent for punishment.


	2. Chapter 2: Things Begin to Stir

**Kurama**

"It's natural for someone of my size to walk that loudly."

"Is it also natural for you to shout, or is that a choice?"

"If you wanna put this on hold and fight it out, little man, I'm game."

Kurama snapped his head back at the bickering pair, raising a finger to his lips to quiet them. They obliged, though they seemed unhappy about it, but that was enough. His mother had managed to survive through the month, but her condition was worsening- he didn't imagine she'd make it much longer than a week, and he wasn't going to allow his last resort to be ruined by petty arguments. He could understand Hiei's frustration however.

Gouki had so far proved not only useless, but a threat to the entire mission. His footsteps were loud and his grunting and heavy breathing was louder. He had repeatedly exposed them to the enemy, resulting in more casualties than Kurama would have liked, and whenever they happened to be in a hall free of guards, Gouki took it as an occasion to talk, and to talk loudly. Kurama had wondered to himself on more than one occasion of he even understood the concept of thievery, as it was obvious that he didn't understand its practice.

He had managed to get them into Reikai by utilizing an old technique of transport from his days as a demon thief and had led them through the majority of the palace using similar tricks. Security was lessened- Gouki had been right. King Enma was away, it would seem, and had taken his most elite guard with him. The items they sought were in his own personal vault. They had targeted this vault because, despite being Enma's personal vault, it had significantly less security. The items it contained were not particularly sought after- they were less powerful than other items held within Enma's Palace and were collected mostly as odd trinkets. The items were known for their strange powers and horrible side effects.

The situation was not ideal, but he had run out of options. He and his companions were not skilled enough to break into anything more difficult than this. Even in his prime, Reikai vaults were a difficult task. He knew there would be something in this vault that could help his cause, as well as he knew there would be undesirable side effects to it's use, but he was out of options. He had to save his mother, no matter the cost.

Kurama utilized a smoke screen down the next hallway that had been infused with a plant oil known to, for lack of a better term, make those that inhaled it rather high. Similar to marijuana of Ningenkai, but with effects much stronger. Instructing the others to hold their breath, they ran through the last stretch of hallway unseen, while the guards posted at it's end fell into fits of confused giggling.

Down a flight of stairs, the fourth flight they had taken downwards since their arrival, they reached the vault. It was guarded by only two ogres, who stood in Reikai armor. He signaled for them to remain behind the wall as cover and reached into his pocket to find another smoke concoction when suddenly Gouki ran towards the guards, shouting a battle cry as he went.

"Idiot," Hiei stated simply from Kurama's side. Gouki was quick to dispose of the first guard, grabbing him by the face and lifting him off the floor. The other one, however, managed to reach the alarm in time before Hiei cut him down.

Kurama, irritated, joined the two in front of the vault and opened the door using the control panel on the side. "That's enough, Gouki," he began, trying to keep his annoyance out of his voice. He would have time later to berate him for his folly. "We are short on time, it would seem. Be quick about it."

Gouki and Hiei already knew what they were after, but Kurama took as much time as he could allow. Whilst he browsed about the items that stood, under-lit in small glass cases, he took the time to remove the security tapes from the cameras mounted around the room.

He had figured most of the items in the vault would be useless- demon crafted materials were crafted for the purpose of killing, rather than saving. However, with his power so greatly diminished he doubted he'd be able to slip his way into anywhere else.

Gouki's gakidama was known for it's ability to steal the souls of humans, making them easily consumable, but was also known for increasing the appetite of the user. Every soul eaten would make the user hungrier until they finally succumed to starvation, regardless of if they were eating at the time or not.

Hiei's koumaken was equally dangerous - it was an old sword that had known many owners, though none had lived very long after it came into their possession. Though it was deadly sharp and easy to wield, and turned those cut into mindless slaves of the wielder, the sword had a powerful effect on the mind of its user, driving men and demons alike into madness. This madness would manifest itself in stupid, rash actions that otherwise the wielder would not have made, and these actions would always result in death.

He could hear reinforcements arriving and had to think quickly, but of the items he recognized, there was only one that would provide him any help, and it had the darkest side effect of all. The ankokukyou provided the user with any wish he wanted, but required the user's life as payment. Truly, he could use the mirror to save his mother's life, but it would come at a great cost. However, he had no time to consider that here- he took the mirror and decided to consider it's use at a later date.

Hiei and Gouki returned to his side.

"So how do we get out of here?" asked Gouki, clenching his fists, "I can kill some more guards if you like."

Kurama glared at him, a look that noticeably frightened the large demon. He removed from his pocket a transportation orb- they were somewhat common in the Makai, though they sold at a high price. Smashing it on the ground, a portal appeared, and through the hole they could see the Ningenkai forest from which they had left.

The others, even Gouki, did not need an explanation. They leapt through the portal to safety just as the guards were coming down the stairs, and it closed behind them.

**Inari**

His suit was pressed, hand-tailored, and made of 100% pashmina. The buttons were antique ivory and his tie was made of vicuna. His shoes were hand crafted and made of elephant leather and on his wrist he wore a Rolex inlaid with diamonds, gold, and platinum. And now he'd have to burn it all just to get the stench of ogre out of it.

Moving his way through the crowd of the bustling mail room, Inari wore an obvious look of disgust. He had always hated ogres and even those employed by Reikai didn't seem to have better hygiene than the wild variety.

He finally emerged past the odorous crowd and to the door of Koenma's office. He walked straight in, not bothering to knock, and spied the young god at his desk.

Koenma noticed him right away and a large smile grew across his face. "Uncle Inari!" he shouted gleefully.

"Hello, Koenma!" he replied, returning his smile. He lifted his left hand, in which he held a large bag of tangerines. "I brought you a present."

Koenma gleefully leaped from behind his desk and accepted the tangerines. Inari often brought small presents like those when he came to visit Reikai and its rulers- he suspected that was one of the reasons Koenma was so found of him. King Enma, on the other hand, did not share Koenma's love of Inari, but welcomed him all the same. Even so, if Inari had to pick between the two, he by far enjoyed Koenma's presence more- perhaps because he was not constantly insulted or looked down upon, as King Enma was often wont to do with lesser gods.

"You seem to be well. I heard you've been having some trouble since your father has been away."

Suddenly Koenma's smile fell, and returned sadly to his desk, sitting down with a heavy sign. "So everyone already knows about it?"

Inari gave him a reassuring smile. "Not everyone. Not your father, at least. Or his guard."

Koenma put his head in his hands, "Once he does, I'm dead."

"Not unless you fix it before he gets back," Inari replied, his smile growing.

"But how am I supposed to do that?" Koenma whined, "Whoever robbed my father didn't leave a single trace!" It was then that Inari pulled out the small security camera tape that he held in his suit pocket. Koenma's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter where I got it," Inari began, "All that matters is that on this tape is the evidence you've been looking for."

Inari handed it over and they watched the tape together. Once it was over, Koenma called for one of his ogres to try to identify whoever the perpetrators were. As the ogre left the room, Koenma turned to Inari. "Do you recognize them?"

Inari shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I don't bother much with demon affairs. They aren't exactly the best business partners."

Koenma, reinvigorated after this most recent discovery, had a newly determined look in his eyes. "It doesn't matter. I'll have to send someone after them."

"Anyone in particular?"

"We have a new spirit detective," Koenma began, "I don't know if he's really qualified for this sort of mission yet, but it looks like I don't really have a choice."

Inari placed his hands in his pockets and moved towards the door. "Whatever you have to do, I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

"Wait, Uncle Inari!" Koenma called.

"Yes, Koenma?"

Koenma looked him dead in the eyes, serious as Inari had ever seen him. His tone was grave, "Whatever you do..."

"Yes?"

"... please don't tell my dad about this."

Inari laughed and waved goodbye as he took his leave, "Your secret is safe with me, my liege!"

**Hotaru**

The building was old, to be sure. From the looks of it, it hadn't been renovated in years. And it was in a bad part of town, Tokyo's Ikebukuro district. The entire building smelled of sewage, and on the lower floors rats and cockroaches ran unchecked. Luckily, the place she sought was on the 6th floor and by the time she arrived their numbers had decreased.

She had never been more thankful for her particular abilities than she was now. Like many of her race, she possessed the ability to create portals. Even with that ability, however, it had taken her nearly a month to track down the man she sought. He had been well hidden and left little of trail- she imagined that his desire to stay hidden within the shadows was what brought him to a place like this.

She was out of breath by the 6th floor, but she lit a cigarette regardless. She counted the apartments as she passed and finally came face to face with apartment number 609.

She knocked. "Um... excuse me? Is anyone home?"

There was no answer.

She knocked again, this time louder. "Hello? Excuse me?"

Still no answer.

Forgoing politeness, she pounded on the door. "I know you're fucking in there, your landlord told me so!"

That was apparently enough and the door opened a moment later. Behind it stood a tall man, with pale skin, sea green hair, and piercing, terrifying golden eyes.

It was Itsuki, the yamanate.

"Glad to see you're still in the picture," she spat sarcastically.

The man's expression would have seemed flat to anyone else, but Hotaru knew him well enough to tell he was angry. Clearly, he was just as happy to see her as she was him.

"What do you want?" he replied, with equal disdain.

She tried to peek behind him, but he blocked her view. "I'm looking for Shinobu,"

"He doesn't want to see you. Not now, nor ever," said Itsuki simply. His voice was smooth and soft, almost a perpetual whisper. She hated his stupid voice.

Hotaru took another drag of her cigarette, purposefully exhaling into his creepy, feminine face.

This only made him angrier. "Leave now, and perhaps I'll let you live," he threatened.

She tried her best to seem unafraid, but truly Itsuki did frighten her. The yamanate had been the boogey-men of her childhood stories, and meeting the true thing hadn't done anything to put her fears to rest. She didn't have to be afraid, though- after the 'incident', she had swiped the chapter black tape for Shinobu, in exchange for him signing an agreement that neither he nor Itsuki would raise a hand against her.

"If I leave now, you'll never get to know what brought me here."

"I believe we'll live."

"'_We_'? Aha! So he is in there!" She tried to sneak another peek and he moved yet again to block her view.

"You haven't shown your face to us in 10 years and that was the wisest decision I've ever seen you make. It would be a shame to ruin it now."

"Dude, fuck off. Let me talk to Shinobu."

"Shinobu isn't here right now."

"Liar."

"Whatever it is you want us to do for you, we will refuse. There is no point in you staying here any longer."

Hotaru was about to give a retort when a voice spoke up from within the apartment. It sounded frail, and somewhat choked, but she recognized it immediately. "Let her in, Itsuki," Shinobu called.

Reluctantly, and with disdain in his eyes, Itsuki stepped to the side and allowed Hotaru to enter. The inside of the apartment was sparsely furnished. Sitting on the bed was Shinobu, though he didn't seem quite himself. His knees were curled up to his chest and when Hotaru got closer she could see his eyes were red and he had been crying.

She was a bit taken aback- she had hardly even seen Shinobu smile, much less cry, and seeing such a tall, built man in the fetal position was a bit jarring. "Um... hi there, pal."

He sniffed, "Who are you?"

Hotaru actually found that quite offensive. Surely she couldn't be _that_ forgettable, it had only been 10 years. She decided to ignore the comment and sat down on the bed beside him. "You doin' okay?"

Shinobu stared into space, contemplating the question, before his eyes filled with tears again and he curled up tighter than before. _What the fuck is this? _she thought.

"They... they said..." Shinobu began to say between sobs, "They said I'm sick."

"Like, really sick?" she asked.

Shinobu nodded weakly.

"Oh, buddy, don't cry," she said, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. "It'll be okay."

"N-n-no it w-wont," Shinobu choked out, "They said I only have a year left, two at most."

Hotaru looked to Itsuki for some help, but he merely continued to glare. She turned back to Shinobu, "Well, hey, listen. I've got something that can cheer you up!"

"Really?"

"I already told you, we aren't interested," Itsuki chimed from the corner.

Hotaru ignored him, "Yea, buddy. See, I've got this friend. She's _really_ cool, you'd like her a lot. She's an ice demon from this place called Hyouga. She's _really_ nice and would never hurt anybody."

Shinobu looked up at her, the tears coming to a brief stop, "What's her name?"

"Her name's Yukina and she's a really good friend of mine," Hotaru continued, "The only problem is, someone's kidnapped her and is torturing her as we speak!"

"Oh no!".

Hotaru tried to shrug off the weirdness, "Do you think you could rescue her for me? You're the strongest guy I know, and the only one who can help! She's been kidnapped by a guy named Tarukane from that Black Book Club, and we _both_ know how much you hate those guys."

Shinobu's face darkened, and he hid himself between his knees again.

"Do not speak of them here," Itsuki warned, his voice thick with spite.

Hotaru gave him an equally spiteful look, but took the warning to heart. "Well, will you do it? Please? You're the only guy I can turn to!"

"I... I need to talk it over," Shinobu replied. Hotaru was about to say there wasn't time for that, until she heard him start mumbling quietly between his knees. "It's just so tragic... I know, but... we have to do something..."

_Okay, now this is officially fucked_, she thought, unable to hide her discomfort from her face any longer.

After a few moments of mumbling, Shinobu lifted his head and in one swift motion rose from the bed. His face had gone from sad and pathetic, to determined and angry. "Where can I find this fucker?" he spat.

Hotaru smiled from ear to ear and stood as well, "I can take you there now!"

"Then let's go."

Hotaru was about to draw a portal when Itsuki stepped between the two of them, "We'll be wanting something in return."

Shinobu let out a derisive laugh, "I don't need anything in return. I'm happy enough smashing this Tarukane's face for free."

Itsuki persisted however, "Shinobu has often talked about how dearly he wishes to visit Makai. I ask that in exchange for us freeing the girl, you take us, so Shinobu may live his final days there, as he has always wished."

"I'll agree to it, but only on the condition that you kill the men who are guarding her. They go by the name 'The Toguro Brothers'. As soon as they're dead and Yukina is free, I'll take you wherever you want to go."

Hotaru drew up a contract, stating their terms, and had both of them sign it. Once it was done, she was about to draw a portal to Tarukane's compound when the pager in her pocket started buzzing. She looked at the number and ruffled her hair, frustrated.

"I have to take this." She wrote down Tarukane's address and handed it to them. "I'll try to get back here as soon as I can but if I don't, just go ahead without me."

"We'll take care of it," Shinobu said, his eyes glowing dangerously.

She saluted him- it was something she used to do back when he was a spirit detective, though it wasn't quite as funny now that he had apparently lost that militaristic nature he once had. She headed for the door. "And remember- you have to kill the Toguro Brothers."

**Hotaru**

_Five hundred and fifty seven years ago_

The demon restaurant was packed because they were having a sale- only a single copper piece for a bowl of _ochazuke_- and half of the small demon village had gathered to take advantage of it. Hotaru, hungry and tired, was pushed around by the crowd, but did nothing to fight back. Her heart pounded in her chest, as it usually did when she was surrounded by demons, but she was too hungry and too poor to go anywhere else.

Finally, she got to the front of the line. She held out her copper piece and asked in a hushed voice for a single bowl. The fat, green demon behind the counter laughed, "It'll be three coppers for you."

She looked up at him, feeling like she would cry. She only had four to her name, and she was hoping to find a place for the night with the other three. "They... they said it was only one," she replied, her voice shaking.

The demon laughed, his jowls swinging back and forth and his large belly jiggling, "Not for your kind it ain't. Didn'tcha read the sign?" He pointed above him, where some words were scrawled. Hotaru knew the numbers, but the rest was gibberish.

"I... I can't..."

"Look, if you want some, it's three pieces. If you don't, fine by me. Just make up your mind so I can serve those fine customers behind you. I don't got all day!" He slammed his wooden spoon on the counter and she flinched.

In the end, she payed him three, but she had her food. The rice was old and smelled funny, and the green tea it soaked in was more like tepid water. There wasn't even an umeboshi on it. The demon had said they were all out, but she knew he just didn't want to give her one.

She nestled against the wall between a group of large, terrifying demons, and did her best to avoid touching them. It wasn't until she was halfway done with her bowl that she noticed the old man sitting across from her.

He looked human, with a wrinkly face and small, yet kind eyes. He was dressed in simple robes and carried a walking stick and on his head he wore a _sagegasa_. He seemed fine enough, but he was staring at her and smiling, and it made her uncomfortable.

She tried to look away, but it was too late. "You're not from around here, are you?" asked the old man. Even his voice sounded nice.

"Um... how can you tell?"

"Oh, a man knows things," he replied.

"I'm... I'm from N-ningenkai."

"Don't be frightened, child, I'm a friend of your people."

"Y-you are?"

"Oh yes. And as a friend, I must say, this is no place for a young girl," he said.

"Well, I... I've been t-trying to raise money to get back home, but..." she swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she spoke. "I keep getting... um... people say they'll pay me and then... um..."

He made a tutting sound as he lit up a cigarette. He offered her one and she took it, though she didn't smoke. "You can't trust people at their word, my dear."

"I... I know that now, but..."

He gave her a big smile, "Tell me, child, do you have a note?"

"A what?"

"A note, my girl! A note!" When she still seemed baffled he pulled out a roll of parchment from his sleeve and handed it to her, "Every girl should carry a note and some ink. Never forget them at home or you'll be in trouble!"

"I... I don't understand. Why?"

He chuckled, "Did your mother teach you nothing? It's the gift of your people!" He handed her the parchment, "If you make a deal with someone, write it down, and get them to sign. Once they do, they'll be bound to it. If they break it, then whatever favor they received from you will go away or, if you prefer, they will be punished, so long as the punishment is clearly outlined in the contract."

Hotaru's eyes were wide, "R-really?"

"Yes, my girl! As I said, this is the gift of your people!" He gave her a friendly smile and continued, "That isn't all you can do with a good ink well, however. There's more."

"More?" Hotaru's heart was beating out of her chest with excitement. If what the old man said was true, it would mean an end to being swindled, and she'd finally be able to save enough money to return home.

"For this next trick, you don't even need the paper at all, though it helps." He leaned in to whisper to her, "If you ever want to travel anywhere, you need only draw a circle and write the address of your destination inside."

"What will that do?"

"It'll create a portal, of course!" He sat back again, snuffing out his cigarette in his bowl. "You must be cautious, however. There may be people who wish you use you for your talents. Even when writing a contract, you must always be careful- you will be bound to the contract as much as the other person."

She nodded along eagerly.

"Here," he said, handing her the parchment and his brush, "As a present."

"Really!?"

"Of course!" He was still smiling at her, and finally, she smiled back.

She picked up the brush and the paper, trying to think of something to write to test it out, when it hit her. She felt her heart fall and smash into a thousand pieces.

"What's wrong, child?" asked the man, still smiling.

"I... I...," she felt her throat tighten, "I can't read." The old man appeared shocked for a moment, then took the paper and brush and placed them back in his sleeve. He pulled himself up with his walking stick, and tears came to Hotaru's eyes, "Please, don't go! Teach me, please!"

The old man shook his head, giving her a sad smile, "I'm sorry, child, but I'm an old man and don't have much time left. I have no time to help the hopeless."

"Please!" she begged. She fell forward, prostrating herself before him. The tatami stank of dirt and sweat and blood, but she didn't care. "Please, help me! I'll do anything!"

Someone grabbed her ass and she shot upright. The old man was gone, and any hope she had was gone with him.

**Koenma**

Papers were piled high on his desk, but Koenma gave them no mind. He sat in his oversized chair, fidgeting impatiently. A plate of grilled mackerel sat in front of him, but for the first time in a very long time, he had no appetite. Finally, the door to his office opened.

Hotaru wandered in lazily, cleaning her ear with her finger. She looked tired but Koenma didn't care. He jumped up onto his desk, sending the plate of mackerel and his stacks of papers flying to the floor. "Would you hurry up and get over here!?" he screamed.

It didn't seem to motivate her much, however, and she continued her lazy pace up to his desk. "Would you stop shouting? I'm here, aren't I?"

He crossed his arms and fell back into his chair. "I called you an hour ago."

"I was busy."

"I don't care if you were busy!" Koenma looked her over for a moment. "Are you _drunk_?"

"I'm not _drunk_. I just a _couple_ of pre-meeting drinks is all," she replied. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

"You can't smoke in here!" he yelled.

She lit it anyway, exhaling a large puff of smoke that hovered over his desk. "Can we just get on with this? I have things to do."

Hotaru's callous attitude was always an annoyance, but now he felt even _more_ annoyed by it than usual. He ignored his desire to scream at her and instead grabbed his remote, flipping on the television to the video tape. "Last night, three thieves broke into my father's personal vault."

"You don't say..."

He had to pause again to stifle his rage and then continued, "They took three items: the koumaken, the ankokukyo, and the gakidama. As you know, my father is out of town, and I've declared getting these items back as a mission of utmost importance!"

She gave him a thumbs up and took another drag of her cigarette. "Good choice. I'm all for getting these fuckers."

"You don't seem like it."

"I have a headache."

Koenma took a deep breath and continued. "I've called you in here to see if you can give me any information on the criminals. We already have information on one of them, some low level kyukonki, but the other two are a mystery."

Hotaru turned towards the screen. "Let's see the tape then."

On the tape, one could see the shadowy figures of the three demons as they entered the vault. One of them held in his right hand the head of one of the two guards- they had found that guard dead, his skull crushed in. After the large one dropped the guard, they moved into the vault. Two of them approached certain items rather quickly, while the third browsed the items as if it were a shopping mall and plucked out tapes from security cameras. It was only when they approached the under-lit cases that their faces became visible.

Hotaru seemed rather bored by the tape, but was examining it closely. The largest demon was illuminated, showing his pock-marked face and glaring under-bite in detail. Then, the smallest of the three approached the case with the koumaken. He had fair skin and short black hair that spiked up and back behind him. His eyes were red and seemed to glow in the light. Finally, the third demon's face was illuminated as he reached for the camera that had contained this particular tape. He was also fair skinned, with bright green eyes, somewhat feminine features, and long red hair. After a few moments of his face in the camera, the tape went fuzzy.

"Do you recognize any of them? We've ID'ed the big one as Gouki. He's the low-level kyukonki I mentioned, but the other two we only know by name: the demons Hiei and Kurama."

Hotaru scratched the back of her head, "Well, I don't know much about the little one, Hiei, though I do know that he's been living in Ningenkai for a while. He's got a bad attitude, definitely, but he hasn't committed any crimes here that I'm aware of. I don't know why he'd be with those two guys, but it seems a little out of character, from what I know of him."

"And the other one?"

"Kurama?" Hotaru had to think for a moment. "That guy's a trouble maker, I can tell you that much. Lots of underworld connections and lots of illegal activity surrounding that guy. He lives with some human woman, calls her his 'mother', but they're definitely not related. He's a full on demon, and a dangerous one at that."

Koenma pondered this thoughtfully. He was beginning to feel that this case would be harder to solve than he had initially thought. "How powerful would you say they are?"

"Hiei is about a D class, Kurama maybe a low C, but probably closer to D. Gouki's hardly even on the chart, but you might as well take him out, the guys a major pain in the ass. Kurama is really the one I would worry about- he's got a bad reputation and is rumored to be pretty good in battle. I don't know why no one has thought to do anything about his presence in Ningenkai before. Take him out, and fast, is my advice."

"And Hiei?" That was the one Koenma was most worried about- he looked the scariest, after all.

Hotaru didn't seem to share his concern. She merely shrugged. "Not worth bothering with, in my opinion. Guy keeps to himself mostly."

Koenma sighed. "Well, that's not really an option."

"Pff, sure it is," she replied. "He's got the koumaken. What's the worst he could do?"

"Create an army of mindless demons is what!" snapped Koenma.

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "Yea, if ever gets to that point. The sword'll probably drive him crazy well before that."

Koenma folded his arms across his lap. "I'm afraid that's not a chance I can take. I've already sent Yusuke after them and-"

"Fucking _what_!?" Hotaru shouted suddenly, making Koenma jump out of his seat. Suddenly energetic, she slammed her hands down on his desk. "That's the stupidest shit I've ever heard! Send the SDF!"

Koenma shook his head. "I can't do that. They don't deal with small issues like these and even if they did..." He grew quiet, fear running up and down his spine like a cold wind. "Even if they did... they'd tell my father."

"Jesus christ," Hotaru replied, tangling her hands in her already tangled hair, "You're sending out your baby detective just because you're afraid of what your _father_ might do?"

"Those items are a part of his personal vault!"

"That vault is filled with weird crap, even he knows that! How mad could he really get?!"

"You obviously don't know my father as well as you think you do," Koenma replied, his face darkening with the memory of previous punishments. True, they had only been spankings, but getting spanked at his age was not only painful, but also humiliating.

Hotaru turned to leave without warning. "Where do you think you're going!?" Koenma yelled after her.

She didn't turn back though, just flipped him off. "I'm going to fix this shit." She kicked open the doors to her office, scaring the life out of the ogres outside, mumbling about how they were all idiots.

* * *

Inari Daimyoujin - 稲荷大明神 - a god, older than Koenma yet of a far lower ranking. He is the god of many things within the lower realms, including sake, rice, and financial success. He is not related to Koenma or Enma, but Koenma refers to him as "Uncle" as a form of endearment, as he has known Inari since he was born.

Ochazuke - お茶漬け - a dish made up of a bowl of rice, typically topped with salmon, nori, or umeboshi, and steeped in green tea. There are a lot of varieties, but it's a common, cheap food, sold more often at bars or made at home, rather than served in restaurants.

Sugegasa - 菅笠 - a bamboo hat that comes to a single point.

Kyukonki - 吸魂鬼 - a type of demon that feeds on the souls of the living.

Hyouga - 氷河 - the island from which koorime (氷女) come from. It floats, shrouded in cloud cover and changes its position regularly. It is nearly unreachable and impossible to find if one does not already know where it is. Birthplace of Hiei and Yukina.

Koumaken, Ankokukyou, and Gakidama - translated in English as the Shadow Sword, the Forlorn Hope, and the Orb of Baast. They are based off of the three treasures of Amaterasu- a sword, a mirror, and a jewel. I kept them in their original Japanese just because I like it better. So... sorry if that was inconvenient.


	3. Chapter 3: Much Thunder But Little Rain

**Kurama**

Kurama sat at his school desk, surrounded by group of his classmates that were chatting about a new issue of a favorite magazine. He didn't mind their company, and many called themselves his friends, but he didn't feel remarkably close to them. He hadn't even told them his mother was in the hospital. They had found out on their own- he had been spotted going into the hospital by two girls from another class and word had spread quickly.

It had increased his popularity even further than it once had been- now people found him to be somewhat of a tragic character, like something out of an anime. He didn't really mind, though. Their company was nice, and most of all distracting.

He still had a few days to go until he could use his mirror. He hoped she'd make it long enough. But there was nothing he could do until the full moon. Until then, he'd have to wait. To get his mind off of it, he tried his best to join in the conversation by asking simple questions about this magazine that he had never read. That was until she walked into his classroom.

It was Hotaru and she was dressed in the school's uniform. Kurama had first met her some years ago, after saving a middle school classmate from a demon. They hadn't spoken since then, but Kurama was not in the mood to deal with her. Based off of their last encounter, he could tell that he didn't like her very much.

"Hey, you. Asshole," she said from the doorway. The other students gasped at her foul language. As he stood up and walked towards her, the class watched intently. Some whispered that she must be a girl he rejected, while others said that he must have slept with her and never called her back. He stepped out of the classroom and she followed, and he slid the door behind them shut.

"What are you doing at my school?" he said, quietly yet in a dangerous tone.

She appeared unafraid, "I heard about your little heist."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've told you before- I'm not this 'youko kurama' you seem to think I am. 'Kurama' is merely a nickname, and one I would prefer you didn't use here."

"Well, _Kurama_," she replied, louder than he would have liked, "_I _would prefer you stop acting stupid. I know you were there- your stupid face is all over the security tape."

Kurama was surprised, though he didn't let it show. _I was sure I took them all... perhaps my skills aren't what they used to be,_ he thought.

She continued. "Look, I'm short on time so I'll cut to the chase. My guy Yusuke is searching for you, and when he finds you, it's gonna hurt. You'll be in prison for the rest of your life, _if _you're lucky. I'm here to help you."

He was wary of her- from what he had heard from Hiei, this girl Hotaru had powerful connections, though he hadn't known she worked for Reikai. Nevertheless, he let her continue.

"I can get you to the demon world- I know a guy that can take you in, protect you, at least for now. Once this whole thing has blown over, I'll bring you back and you can keep doing... whatever the fuck it is that you do."

The offer was tempting- the last time Reikai had been after him, it had resulted in the death of his demon form. But this time was different.

"I'm afraid I must decline. I have something that I must do, and this mirror is all that can help me."

Hotaru frowned at him, "Right, about that. You _do_ know what that thing does, right?"

"I know that it grants whatever wish is asked of it by the user."

"Yea, and in exchange you _die_."

"I was aware of that as well."

Hotaru seemed shocked by his answer, but the truth was Kurama didn't fear the mirror or its power. He had escaped death once already- true, he was weaker now, so his chances of success were less. And even if he succeeded, he would never be able to see his mother again, but she would be alive, and that was all that mattered. And even if he were to die, he had to save her regardless. She deserved as much.

"Look, even if you want to use that mirror, for whatever crazy ass reason, you won't be able to! The new spirit detective is after you. It's only a matter of time before you're caught."

Kurama didn't know why she cared so much. Perhaps she had some investment in this new detective and didn't want to see him hurt, or perhaps she really did just want to help him. Either way, her reasons meant little when compared to his own. "I may be able to find a way around that."

"If you really think that, then you're an idiot."

The bell rang- lunch was over. Kurama turned to take his leave, "Thank you for your concern, but it isn't necessary."

"You're being stupid, Kurama!" she yelled at him, causing a few to look in his direction.

He turned back to her, his eyes glowing dangerously, "You should leave now before you make me angry."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked back with a laugh.

"I am," he replied simply. "I will not discuss this further. And if you continue to pry into my private life, or even set foot within my school again, I will show you no mercy."

The girl tried to keep a brave face, but it was obvious that his threat had done the trick. Her gaze shifted nervously, and she backed away in the most casual manner she was able to muster. "Well.. if you change your mind..."

"I will not."

"Well if you _do_, I'll be waiting."

After that she left, and Kurama heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Matters were already complex enough without adding her into the mix- ever since he had met her two years ago she had been a perpetual thorn in his side, constantly trying to get him to admit his true identity. She didn't seem to take no for an answer and now, in his most recent predicament, he knew her presence was even more of a threat than it had been before. He hoped that was the last he'd see of her, that he could somehow circumvent her and instead focus his energy on his younger, more naive pursuer. But he had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't get his wish- if he knew anything about this girl, it was that she could not be ignored.

He figured then, there was no point in hiding it. He had been trying to deny in vain who he was for years to this girl, but now she had her evidence. It would do no good to pretend, and would only be a waste of time. _If she truly knows who I am, _he thought, staring down the emptying hallway. _Then I suppose I have no reason to hold back._

**Hiei**

Within his hands he held the koumaken. It's blade glittered, even in the shadow of the warehouse. His eyes stayed on the blade. He could feel it's power pumping through him from the hilt, and it revitalized him.

_For years I have lived within this world, searching for... _he found he couldn't remember exactly why he had come to Ningekai in the first place. He pushed it out of his mind. _Why is not important now. All that is important is this... with this, I can finally give the humans what they deserve. No longer will I be forced to suffer their stench. I will turn them all! And then I'll burn these cursed cities they congregate in!_

He had found this warehouse after splitting up with the group. It was dark and isolated and lacked the smell of humans. He had originally planned on just staying here and waiting for Kurama to come crawling back, but he had soon decided he liked this place. More than anything, he liked sitting in the dark, looking at his new prize. He smiled. _That spirit detective thinks he can stop me but he can't. No one can stop me! Not now! I will raise an army to bring Ningenkai to it's knees!_

He stood, raising the sword high. _They will call me master! I will destroy them all!_

He started laughing to himself, first a chuckle and then a loud, bellowing laugh. It filled the warehouse, echoing off the walls. He felt the power running through his blood and felt shivers going down his spine.

His mind then suddenly went blank. His eyes widened and he stared into space, empty- no thoughts, no feelings, not even confusion. It was like he had never existed before this moment, though he knew he had. He just couldn't remember where- he couldn't even form the question in his own mind. His eyes shifted to the sword in his hand, it's blade glittering.

He fell back into a sitting position atop the crate. Turning the sword in his hand, he watched it reflect the little light that streamed in. He cocked his head to one side, and smiled. _For years I have lived within this world, but why is not important now. All that is important is this... with this, I can finally give the humans what they deserve! No longer will..._

**Hotaru**

By the time she got back to her apartment, it was late. The moon was out- by the looks of it, it would be three days until the moon was full. She didn't know how she would convince Kurama, but at least she had three days to do it.

Her main concern now was Hiei- he had disappeared, apparently. Luckily, she had heard from Botan that Yusuke had yet to meet him in battle. Those two fighting was the last thing she wanted- if Yusuke won, then Hiei would be in prison, and if Hiei won, then Yusuke would be dead. Either situation meant serious trouble for Hotaru.

She had been searching for him all day, but even she had been out of luck. She had checked everywhere that seemed particularly Hiei-esque, but it was a dead end. She had given up and decided to return home, buying some beer, cigarettes, and food at a convenience store near her building.

Her building was across from Yusuke's- she had moved in there on purpose, so it would be easier to keep an eye on him. She had first moved in next to his old house, so she could keep an eye on his body while he was performing Koenma's stupid tests, but then his house had burned down and so she'd been forced to rent out _another_ apartment across from his new one. Now she was stuck paying rent on both of them, which sucked considering that she was already pretty broke to start with.

As she neared her building, she noticed something- a figure standing on the railing of her building's rooftop. Whoever it was, they were looking directly into Yusuke's bedroom window. _Hiei?! _she thought hopefully. It could be anyone, but the little twerp did seem to have a fondness for perching like a hawk up on top of buildings. She ran to the alley way and dropped her bags, drawing a portal to the roof, so as to avoid he stairs.

She stepped through, emerging on the rooftop, and her face fell. It wasn't Hiei.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked, walking over to where Kurama stood. His hair was being blown back by the wind and his lithe figure was practically a silhouette in the moonlight, but it was quite obviously him. "If you're here to take me up on my offer, it still stands, but if you plan on attacking Yusuke through that window, we've got a problem."

Kurama dismounted from the railing and smiled at her. "Just checking on things. I spoke with Yusuke earlier today, and judging by the conversation I've just witnessed, he's decided to allow me freedom to use the mirror."

Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows- this guy really _was_ an idiot. "Pretty sure that spirit detectives don't just _let_ people commit crimes."

"Perhaps he doesn't believe that what I seek to do _is_ a crime."

"Okay, okay, what possible reason could you have for using that mirror? It's killing me man, you gotta tell me."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Yea, well I already don't understand, so what's the harm in it?"

Kurama sighed, pondering this for a moment, and relented, "My human mother has fallen ill and I wish to save her."

Hotaru was a bit taken aback. Youko Kurama didn't "save" people, especially not humans. She had never gotten what the deal was with this whole 'mother' business, but she had just assumed it was some fetish thing.

"You're going to kill yourself to save some woman?"

"She's not just any woman," Kurama replied with a sad expression. "She is my mother."

Hotaru laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but she's _not_."

"I told you that you wouldn't understand," he stated simply.

"Yea, man, you were right about that," she replied through giggles. This was Youko Kurama- the famed thief and master deceiver apparently had a screw lose. And Hotaru absolutely reveled in that fact. She didn't care for him- he was her least favorite type of person. Proud, arrogant, cunning, manipulative- undeniably attractive and quite obviously aware of that fact. Plus, there were certain bits of his history that Hotaru still firmly held against him, though she doubted he knew she was aware of them.

He looked angry and she did her best to quell the laughter. Despite how she felt, she needed him to cooperate, and mocking a man like him would get her nowhere. "Look, okay. You're attached or whatever. That's cool. But killing yourself to save her? Isn't that a bit much?"

"She would do the same for me."

"Would she really?" Hotaru asked, incredulous.

Kurama's face was serious, "She has raised me since I was a baby. She's put herself in danger just to save me from harm. Even in her present condition, she continues to worry about me. It is the least I can do."

Suddenly it clicked- the youko had escaped death not by taking on a human form, but by _inhabiting _a human's womb and the child that was within it. It made sense- she knew he had been dead, but after encountering him 14 years later, she also knew he had come back. It had perplexed her for some time, but now she finally had her answer. He had just leased himself a new body... and a new complex to boot.

Hotaru tried to restrain herself, but she couldn't help it and doubled over laughing once again. Tears came to her eyes and when she looked up at Kurama's serious expression, she only found it funnier. Unwilling to be laughed at, Kurama walked away to leave, but Hotaru stopped him.

"Oh man, I'm sorry, but that's _ridiculous_," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Perhaps to someone like you," he said disdainfully.

"Oh no man, that's ridiculous to _everybody_. I mean, it's absurd!" She walked in front of him to stop him from walking away again, "I mean, you _raped_ some woman, and-"

"I did not rape my mother," Kurama replied darkly.

"You basically did! Oh wait, no, what you did was worse. You raped her and _killed her child in the process_. I mean, my god, that's _fucked._" Hotaru was still laughing, even as she described the gruesome truth.

"Shuuichi Minamino is not dead, he is me."

"Oh my god, please stop," Hotaru begged, having to choke back more laughter.

Kurama stepped closer, towering over her, "Get out of my way. I will not stand here and be mocked by the likes of you."

Hotaru smiled up at him, "I'm not _mocking_ you, I'm giving you a dose of truth that you _desperately_ need. This woman isn't your mother, she's your fucking _victim_."

"Which is why I intend to save her," he replied, side-stepping her and walking to the door.

Hotaru scoffed, "Right. Saving her from the disease that, let's be honest, _you _probably caused."

He stopped, speaking with his back to her, "You would dare imply that I infected her on purpose?"

"Well, you infected her womb good enough," Hotaru replied with a shrug. "Giving birth to demon spawn can't be easy. Ugh, I bet 'it' was all... mangled and shit afterwards. That shit's gotta-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kurama was on her and his fist landed firmly in her stomach. She flew back quite a distance, slamming into the railing and doubling over in pain. The wind was knocked out of her and her vision a bit blurry. Kurama stood back where she had, his eyes dangerous and his fist clenched so hard that blood ran down his wrist.

"Asshole," she finally managed to choke out.

"I will not allow you to speak about her like that," he warned. "Do it again and I _will_ kill you."

Hotaru knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself. Something about this guy just made her really fucking angry. "Does she even know what you really are? Or do you just get off on the secrecy of it?"

Before she knew what was happening, Kurama had lifted her from the ground and held her by her neck. He punched her in the face and tightened his grip. She gasped for air. She kicked at him, landing one good one in his solarplexus, and he released her by throwing her across the rooftop.

She tumbled and finally skidded to a stop on the other end. She tried to stand, but pain shot up her leg and she looked down to see that her foot was stuck at an unnatural angle. Kurama approached her, slowly, and her heart started beating out of her chest.

"Don't make me hurt you, Kurama," she warned, but he continued to approach. "I mean it, stay back!"

He didn't comply, and Hotaru knew she had no choice. She placed her hands together, lacing all her fingers together except for the thumb and forefinger. "A'ailȧs kólom fehraq," she whispered between her fingers, and a pale red light grew within her palms. She slammed them to the ground, and the light shot out, forming an intricate circle on the floor. Within the circle was a mark, a symbol from an ancient language, and around the circle's borders similar symbols seemed to write themselves. As they did, the light grew stronger and brighter, until the light died and it was replaced by a tall, human-like figure.

He wore something similar to the samurai lords of ancient Japan- a metal helm, with woven red ropes from which hung lanterns that glowed with the same red light, and on top of it was a demon head carved of gold with two fangs that stuck out, appearing like antlers. His cloak and clothing resembled that of the ancient samurai lords, yet was far more lavish- sewn of silks of varying colors into intricate patterns of bloody battle fields, trees in bloom, and fierce mythical beasts. Despite the fine nature of the cloth, most of it was ragged from use and blood stained from the slaying of countless opponents. On his belt he carried two swords- a katana and a wakizashi- each sheathed inside a blue oak case and wrapped in golden thread, from which dangled bells that chimed eerily, blown back by his ethereal wind. His face was shadowed, but beneath his large helm one could still see his eyes- golden, wide, and glowing.

He was really more of a beast than a human, and standing at over three meters was truly frightening- he was a fallen god, she had been told once. She would have been afraid, but he fought for her and had for hundreds of years. They had never spoken- she didn't even know if he _could_ speak, but she had named him Yojimbo for her own convenience.

Now it was Kurama's turn to be afraid. He had watched Hotaru summon the beast, and now stood, backed against the railing. She grinned as Yojimbo walked calmly to her side and extended a single open palm in her direction.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" she yelled to him, irritated that she had been forced to go this far. Kurama did not respond and instead reached into his hair and pulled out a rose, which transformed before Hotaru's eyes into a long, thorned whip.

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "_Of course_ that's your weapon. And here I was thinking you _weren't_ a total freak." She gave him a hard stare and he started to approach. She was seriously getting sick of this guy. "Come on, Kurama, it's hopeless. Yojimbo here can kill anyone. I mean _anyone_. I mean like, freaking _S-class demons_, you stupid fuck. Don't try to fight him- just give me the mirror and I'll take you to Makai and we'll just forget this stupid fight ever happened, okay?"

Kurama responded with a single lash of his whip- it struck Yojimbo directly in the face, yet he didn't move or even flinch in response. From the looks of things, Kurama was conflicted, but he moved forward still, sending out another lash that went disregarded by the towering beast.

Hotaru was at her wits end. "Fine, if you wanna fight, we'll fight, but once I win, I'm taking you to Makai whether you like it or not." She reached into her wallet and suddenly felt incredibly foolish- she had spent 3000 of her remaining 5000 on the groceries that now lay in the alley way. She cursed whoever invented convenience stores and handed over the remaining 2000, "Just hit him as hard as you can!"

Yojimbo placed the bill inside his sleeve and drew his katana, and from beneath his helm a terrifying grin grew, glowing like his eyes did and filled with long, pointed teeth. His blade reflected the moonlight dangerously, and his bells jingled as he slowly approached Kurama. Kurama stood his ground and started to raise the whip, but Yojimbo was on him before he got very far. He held both of Kurama's hands with one of his. The whip fell as Yojimbo lifted him from the ground, holding him in the air. Kurama's eyes were wide as Yojimbo lifted the katana into a stabbing position- the tip of the blade aimed directly at his heart.

_Shit maybe I went to far... what if he kills him? _Hotaru thought to herself, but it was too late. Yojimbo reeled and brought the blade back with force, piercing with the tip of his blade.

Unfortunately, it was just the tip, and the small bit of blood that emerged proved it hadn't gone very deep. Yojimbo released Kurama and he landed on his feet, obviously a bit shaken. Quietly, Yojimbo re-sheathed his sword and returned to Hotaru's side as he had been before, once again extending an open palm in her direction.

"I see... you pay him, and he fights for you. A useful tool, for someone as weak as you."

Hotaru grimaced- what he said was true.

Kurama broke into a run and Hotaru tried to get up, but her foot wouldn't allow her. Once again, he held her by the neck causing her to hover above the ground, only a half meter from where Yojimbo stood with his empty palm. Kurama's eyes were on Yojimbo, but they quickly turned back to Hotaru, who was getting red from lack of oxygen.

"It would appear he holds no loyalty to you. And you don't have anything else to pay him with, do you?" He didn't wait for a response and instead threw Hotaru again. She tumbled once more to the other end of the roof, though this time it was more painful. By the time she looked up, Kurama was there, and he threw her again, this time upwards. He met her mid air, landing a swift kick to her stomach, and she flew back, _over_ the railing of the rooftop.

She began to fall and grasped for the edge of the building. She caught it with one hand, but as she did, her body swung back in and her nose collided with the brick wall. She felt it crack and instinctively let go, beginning to fall again. She tried to grab something else to hold onto, but it was too late- she plummeted the entire ten stories of the building, finally landing on the ground. Her vision went black and all she heard was the sick sound of her bones shattering and her body liquefying under the impact.

* * *

Yojimbo/Yōjinbō - 用心棒 - lit. "bodyguard" - a fallen god that is contracted to fight for Hotaru in exchange for money, in any form of currency. The cost is equivalent to that of the strength or ranking of the opponent. Strong foes are more expensive than weak, kings are more expensive than commoners, humans are more expensive than demons (as per the Three World Rotation theory, which is explained in later arcs).

Katana and Wakizashi - offensive and defensive swords, respectfully.


	4. Chapter 4: Paw Prints in the Snow

**Hotaru **

It seemed to be only a moment later when she opened her eyes. She was screaming but quickly quieted when she realized she was no longer falling. The sun was up and streaming in through the window next to the bed she lay in. She looked around- she was in a hospital room.

She moved to get up but found her body was stiff and her joints immovable. What's more, she couldn't remove her hands from the bedside. She looked down- her entire body was covered in casts. Furthermore, her wrists had been handcuffed to the side of her bed. She felt something in her mouth as well- it pressed down on her tongue and held her teeth in place- she figured her jaw must be wired shut.

The door to her room opened and an old man in a white coat entered, carrying a clipboard. He was smiling at her- as if there was anything to be happy about.

"I see you're awake!" he said gleefully. "How are you feeling?"

She grunted, the best she could manage with her jaw tightly closed.

The doctor laughed, "Oh right, sorry! I guess you can't answer any questions." He started checking her machines, "Quite a fall you had there. I have to say, we didn't think you'd make it- in all my years of medicine I've never seen someone survive a ten-story fall like that."

_I guess you don't treat non-humans that often then_, she thought disdainfully. She could feel that her bones had repaired themselves, though her energy was entirely depleted. Being so low on energy, she doubted she'd be able to shapeshift for days, which would mean she'd be stuck in these casts. She was just happy that she was alive when suddenly the thought hit her- if her body has already fixed itself, then a significant amount of time had passed. Kurama may have already used the mirror, Yusuke may have already been killed by Hiei, or vice versa.

"Huurooongasibiiiin," she said. She couldn't even move her lips properly with the cast on her nose and face.

"Pardon?" the doctor asked with a smile.

"Huurooongasibiiin."

He laughed, "One more time."

"HUUROONGASIBIIN!"

He laughed again, "Oh, I get it! It's been three days since you were admitted. Well, about 60 hours technically."

"KHEEEEEEE" Hotaru yelled through her wired mouth.

Like an asshole, he just laughed again, "Oh I know it seems like a long time, but it's actually incredible, considering the condition you were in when you first got here."

Hotaru started trying to get up again- she had to move her entire body at once, so it looked more like mindless thrashing.

The doctor tutted at her, "Now don't move too much- you're injuries are still quite severe."

She shook herself again, making the handcuffs jingle.

"Oh, that!" This time he didn't laugh, just gave her a sad smile, "I'm afraid that's hospital policy. I will withhold my judgment, since I'll be treating you, but the police have reported your... um... _incident_ an attempted suicide until they can gather more evidence. Apparently, some witnesses in that neighborhood said they spotted a woman lingering on the rail of your building just shortly before your fall. They have decided that you should be... well, _restrained_ until we've had time to give you a psychiatric evaluation."

"KHEEEEEEE!" she yelled again. _That fucking Kurama, this is all his fault. Standing on the railing like a fucking circus act with his stupid, girly hair. _The doctor tried to speak up, but she just started thrashing, "KHEHEGUUUU! REEH. MEEEH. KUUUUU!"

The doctor merely shook his head sadly and walked over to one of the IV bags that hung above her bed. He started fiddling with them and suddenly, Hotaru found herself feeling weak and rather sleepy. Her limbs became too heavy to lift and her head lolled to one side.

The doctor gave her another infuriating smile, "Don't worry, I've just increased your pain medication. It should help to calm you down."

Hotaru glared at him, and his stupid, stupid smile. _I don't need pain medication I need... I need to... to get the fuck out of here you... asshole. Who... who the fuck... made you a... a doctor. Can't you... fucking tell... can't you see that I'm not human? Don't... you..._

Before she could finish the thought, she had fallen asleep.

**Sakyou**

He sat in his black leather chair, watching his tunnel be born. It had increased in size, now at a meter and a half. So far no one else from Reikai had come to try to stop him, and he had heard nothing from Hotaru. No one had come to challenge Toguro either, from what he had heard.

Toguro was working part time for a man named Tarukane, another member of the upper echelon of the Black Book Club. Tarukane was a horrible man- he sweat profusely, drooled on his cigars, and liked to cheat when he could. He was also incredibly ugly and for a man like Sakyou, who placed high value on aesthetics, that was a rather serious flaw.

He normally didn't like to have Toguro away from his side, but didn't care about it much now. He spent so much time watching his portal that many of his serving staff had begun to whisper about him being 'obsessed'. They thought he had gone crazy. He wondered idly if he had.

One of his serving men entered the room as Sakyou was snuffing out his cigarette. He carried a rotary phone with him and announced that it was a call from the Toguro Brothers. Sakyou picked it up.

"Is there a problem?"

"_No, no problem,_" replied the younger of the Toguro brothers. "_I just thought you would want to know that Hotaru's fighter has arrived._"

Sakyou smiled to himself, "I see. Is he powerful?"

"_Quite powerful, actually."_

"Then may I ask why it is you're calling me instead of fighting him?"

"_Forgive me, Sakyou, but I took the liberty of explaining your plan to him and it seems he wants to talk with you._"

Sakyou scoffed, "Isn't it your job to protect me from brutes like that? What purpose would me meeting him serve?"

"_I think you misunderstand, Sakyou. Allow me to clarify..."_

**Kurama**

"Thank you for everything you've done for my family," said Kurama with a deep bow. He stood in the lobby of the hospital building with Yusuke and Botan, whom he had just been introduced to. Apparently she worked for Reikai as well. They had saved him, and his mother, and he had never been happier. She was awake now and doing well, and it was all thanks to the spirit detective.

Yusuke returned his bow with a grin, patting him on the shoulder, "I'm glad to hear your mom is alright."

Kurama smiled back at him, "I'm glad for it too."

Yusuke put his hands on his hips in a victory pose, "Well now I guess everything has worked out!"

"Not yet it hasn't," chided Botan, "We still have Hiei to deal with."

Kurama gave them a pained expression, "I fear he may be more difficult than Gouki was. Hiei is far stronger, and far more ruthless. I would like to be of help, if I can."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I can handle him," Yusuke replied with a wave of his hand.

Botan nodded, "Yes, Kurama, as nice as more help would be, I'm afraid you'll still have to deal with Reikai authorities. I can put in a good word for you, but beyond that there's nothing I can do."

"I understand," Kurama replied with a sad smile, "I do hope they'll at least let me serve probation. I'd rather not have to explain the truth of what happened to my mother."

Yusuke gave him a thumbs up, "If the baby gives you trouble I'll make sure he pays for it."

"Yusuke!" Botan slapped him across the back of the head, "You shouldn't speak about your boss like that!"

"She's right, you know," Kurama replied with a smile.

"Well, we should probably get going," began Yusuke.

Kurama walked them to the street and waved them goodbye. As he re-entered the hospital, he noticed how truly relieved he felt. He had a knot in his back, most likely from stress, and had been having headaches lately. He thought back on Yusuke's words up on the roof, about how his mother would be sad without him, and felt a slight sense of guilt.

_If Yusuke hadn't intervened, my mother would have lived. But perhaps she wouldn't be smiling_, he thought, remembering her face after he had returned from using the mirror. _I was reckless... too quick to action, and entirely out of fear. I suppose she truly is my weakness. I must learn to control this- my next opponent may not be as kind as Yusuke was, and may attempt to use her against me. _

As he walked into the elevator to take him to his mother's floor, he suddenly remembered the fight from a few days ago with Hotaru. He had hated her for what she said, yes, but now, with his mother finally well again, he felt somewhat guilty about his actions. He remembered watching her fall from that rooftop and cringed- truthfully, he had not expected her to fall so easily.

_She certainly is not a fighter, that much is obvious,_ he thought. He then remembered the beast she had summoned to fight for her and his guilt dissipated slightly, _I suppose she's not powerless either... but still. _

He pressed the button for the third floor and exited once the elevator came to a stop. This floor was for those in critical conditions- he had watched Hotaru's body be carried off in an ambulance from this hospital. If she was still alive, she would be here.

The floor was fairly empty, except for a few nurses- the doctors were split amongst two rooms, each of which held a patient that was near the brink of death. This allowed Kurama to take his time examining the patients in each of the rooms. After the fifth one, he finally found her.

She had large casts on both legs as well as one around her pelvis that ran up the length of her torso and down her arms. Her face was wrapped in plaster as well and her jaw appeared to have been wired shut. She lay there, still. Even under the casts, Kurama knew it was her- he could sense her energy, weak as it may be. Looking at her there, he knew that he had definitely gone too far.

_I could have just walked away that night. She posed no significant threat, _he thought sadly. _I was angry and took it out on her. Even if she said those disgusting lies, she was trying to help Yusuke. Now I suppose I can understand the impulse. If I truly wish to consider myself reformed, I must make this right. _

He approached her bed, looking down on her with pity. He felt guilty. Suddenly, she opened her eyes.

"SHUUTITIUUUK! JEEE GEEEEH!" She started thrashing, trying to get a him, but he noticed handcuffs were placed on her wrists.

He felt guilty, and didn't want to laugh, but the situation was truly absurd. He did his best to stifle it, "Ssh, relax. I'm not here to hurt you. If you aren't quiet, they'll interrupt, so please- let me speak."

She stopped thrashing. She looked like she was listening, but her eyes showed that she was still incredibly angry.

He bowed his head lightly, "I'm sorry for attacking you that night. It would seem I've done many foolish things the past few months."

He waited for a response until he realized she couldn't give one, and continued, "What you said was wrong, but judging by your condition, I imagine you have learned your lesson. That besides, you were only trying to help, as strange as your methods may be. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, please, let me know."

She jiggled her arm, which required moving her entire torso and Kurama smiled at her, "You're able to move quite well. I suppose that's why your energy is so low. You've been healing yourself?"

She jiggled again. Kurama didn't quite understand her meaning until she signaled with her gaze at the handcuffs.

"Allow me to take care of those for you," he said calmly. He looked around, but the room was deserted, and removed the rose from his hair. He transformed it into his whip, though a shorter version, and with a few skillful strokes broke her free from her cuffs. He then helped her up onto her feet, slightly impressed that a demon as weak as she was could heal so quickly.

Even after helping her do all of that, she was glaring at him. He looked at her, curiously, "Is there... something else I can do?"

"Gheeeejjj," she grumbled between clenched teeth.

It hit him, "Oh yes, the cast! Surely you don't need it any longer, if you're capable of standing. Hold still." She did as he asked and he removed the cast around her head with the help of his whip and it fell to the floor. He was about to remove the rest when she spoke, her voice slightly clearer without the binding effects of the cast.

"Did juu ooz za eior?"

"Pardon?"

"DIIJUU OOZAIOR!?" she said again, this time louder and more incomprehensible.

Kurama laughed, "I'm sorry that was a terrible joke. I understood you the first time." The hate she felt for him at that moment was palpable. "I did use the mirror and I'm happy to say that my mother is making a full recovery."

Hotaru looked confused. "Ut... houw?"

"It would appear your Yusuke saved my life," he said, giving her an honest, genuinely thankful smile.

"Ut?"

Kurama laughed lightly. "I'm as confused as you are, actually. I was on the roof of the hospital and was fully prepared to give my life to save my mother's, but Yusuke pushed me aside and offered _his_ life instead of mine and- wait, what are you-"

Before he had time to finish his story, Hotaru had taken off running. Of course, it wasn't _real_ running, as her joints were encased in plaster. Instead, she threw the weight of half her body, followed by the other half, until she was in a high speed, full-body waddle towards the elevator. Kurama started laughing, but once she stormed past the nurses and into the elevator itself, he knew he had to do something.

He raced up the stairs and waited on the sixth floor- she would have to go via the stairs to reach the roof top, and he would stop her then and finished explaining what had happened. Or at least, that was his intent.

But when Hotaru barreled through the stairwell door, he almost lost it again. She paid him no mind, and instead ran to the foot of the stairs. She seemed to pause, unsure of what to do, and hesitantly leaned to the right side. This caused her left foot to raise as well and she placed it on the first stair. She suddenly lost her balance though and had to bring her foot back to it's original position.

Kurama was shaking his head in disbelief and went to approach her, figuring she had given up. But she let out a sudden cry, something of a battle cry, and tried the same technique, only faster this time. With increased speed, she managed to make it up the stairs, all the while with Kurama following behind her in a fit.

She stormed onto the roof and waddled around. When she saw nothing, she waddled up to Kurama which, combined with the angry look in her eyes, was too much to bear. He fell to the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

"JERH. IZ. HE." she shouted in controlled, yet incomprehensible one-word sentences.

Kurama tried to answer but couldn't. Even for him, this was too much.

"Hukker!" she yelled, "Hell meh uer he iz!"

Kurama finally managed to choke out a reply, "He's alive! He's alive!"

Hotaru just stared at him in disbelief as he rose to his feet. "I was going to tell you- Yusuke offering his life for mine apparently negated the effects of the mirror. We both lived."

Once again, the sense of Hotaru's palpable rage came over him as he wiped the years from his eyes, "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, but that... that..." He doubled over again, "That was just too funny!"

"Azzhul."

**Koenma **

Koenma nervously tapped his pen on the desk and his heart was practically beating out of his chest. George, the blue ogre, stood to his side with a concerned look but, at least for the moment, held his tongue. Before Koenma was Kurama's file- or what they had managed to construct of it. Botan had put it together based on what Yusuke had learned in the field, and they expanded it later once they learned of his true identity. Koenma was quite ready to face the trial of a thief, but not so ready as to deal with the trial of _this_ thief.

"Maybe I should just leave this one for my father..." he mumbled to himself.

George, however, assumed he was speaking to him. "But sir! If you leave your father to deal with Kurama then he'll find out about what happened and punish you!"

"I know that!" Koenma snapped back. He sunk further into his chair, "But the thought of meeting Youko Kurama face to face in my office is..."

"But sir, won't he be in handcuffs? Not to mention, he's guarded by two very strong ogres. Those two can beat anyone at arm wrestling, and-"

"He's a fox, you idiot!" Koenma yelled back, "If he can break _into_ anything then I would assume he can also break _out_. And if his power is like it was, you're stupid friends won't be any help!"

George fell silent, looking sullen, and Koenma began tapping his pen again. He tried to calm himself. _He's not the same as he was- Botan said he's reformed. And judging by this file they collected about his human life, it would seem she's right. But still... he IS Youko Kurama..._

Koenma ruffled his own hair in frustration and slammed his head down on the desk, defeated. "I guess I have no choice... even if I _don't_ rule his trial, he'll still be imprisoned here, and that's just as dangerous. Maybe I should just send him to Makai, like Hotaru said..."

"But sir-"

"But what!?"

"Botan said he's changed his ways! She said he only stole that mirror so he could save his human mother, and I think that's pretty admirable. He might have been a real thief once, but now he's just a boy that cares for his mother!" George wiped a single tear from his eye.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion!"

"I'm just saying, sir, there's no reason to be afraid..."

"I'M NOT AFRAID!" Koenma yelled finally. "It's just... to have to meet with _him_ of all people."

"But he's just a thief, sir!" George replied, obviously baffled by Koenma's strong reaction, "You've performed the trial for thieves hundreds of times! Sure, he may have been more notorious, but in the end, isn't he the same as the others?"

Koenma looked grave, "Youko Kurama wasn't just some thief we picked up. He was killed by the _SDF_ and the SDF doesn't deal with petty thieves."

"What _do_ they deal with?"

"Reikai security. He was a threat- not to our property, but to our _lives_."

"That guy tried to kill you!?" George shouted. He shook his head sadly, "And to think I looked up to him!"

Koenma began tapping his pen again, "We sent the SDF after him because Inari requested it. After Youko Kurama attempted to... kill him."

George was taken aback, "Youko Kurama tried to kill a god!? I never heard about that!" He then paused, suddenly confused, "Wait, but how? I thought demons couldn't kill gods..."

"Apparently he found a way around that little rule. Which is _why_, ogre, that we must treat this case with caution."

George seemed like he wanted to ask more questions, but it was at that moment that the door to Koenma's office opened. Kurama was led in by the two ogres George had mentioned before. He stood with his hands bound together by handcuffs made of pure Reikai energy, and his feet were bound as well. They were the strongest types of binds Reikai possessed, but aside from those barriers standing between them, Koenma was defenseless.

"Lord Koenma," Kurama greeted plainly, bowing deeply at the waist.

Koenma's eyebrow twitched involuntarily, "Youko Kurama."

"I do not go by that name any longer. You may call me Kurama if you wish, it is my original given name after all, but I am no longer a youko. Truthfully, I would like to leave that title in the past."

_Of course you would_, Koenma thought. He tried to show no fear as he spoke and even surprised himself with how calm his voice sounded. "You have requested to be pardoned for your crime, based on the fact that you now hold permanent residence and did not use your stolen item to commit any further crimes. Furthermore, you base your request off of the _assumption_ that you have reformed your old ways."

"Yes, Lord Koenma, that is correct," Kurama replied smoothly. He didn't appear to be afraid, and that was quite unsettling. He continued, "My only intention was to save my human mother."

"Yes, I realize that, but a crime is still a crime. You cannot expect me to pardon you just because you were trying to save your... um, _mother_." Koenma wasn't quite sure how he felt about Kurama's use of the term 'mother'. Truthfully, she was not his mother- only a human that he had manipulated to hide his identity. However, based on his actions, he had demonstrated that he truly did care for the woman like a son would.

Kurama took Koenma's judgement in stride, "I had hoped you would allow me a pardon, but truthfully I did not expect one. As you have said, I did indeed commit a crime. However, I feel imprisoning me would be the wrong course of action."

Koenma shared that sentiment- having Kurama anywhere near Reikai made him feel a bit queasy.

Kurama continued, "Your new spirit detective, Yusuke Urameshi, is quite strong and a good choice. However, no one is strong enough to work alone in such a position. I am not so proud as to claim Hiei, Gouki, and I were the strongest opponents he will face during the time of his service."

"What are you suggesting?" Koenma asked with a skeptical look.

Kurama smiled. It made Koenma uncomfortable. "I'm suggesting that I would be far more useful by Yusuke's side than in a jail cell. I would ask that you allow me to serve my sentence as assistant to the spirit detective. I would be happy to repay him- he saved my life. And if I serve my punishment in this manner, I may be able to maintain my new life as a human."

Koenma mulled it over in his head. He was right- Yusuke might end up needing his help. But this was _Youko Kurama_ he was dealing with. He worried that Kurama might be attempting to manipulate him, or even if he wasn't, might turn against them later. He _had_ been living an honest life since he escaped to the human realm, but 15 years was nothing compared to the 1000s he had lived before his 'reformation'. _But they do say a mother's love can change everything... _

Koenma heaved a heavy sigh and Kurama smiled sadly in response, "I understand your reluctance. My actions in my previous life were deplorable. I see that now."

"I trust you're not talking just about the banditry?" Koenma felt his hands begin to shake and he hid them under the table.

"I'm not," Kurama admitted. "Although, I wish you to know that during that time I acted in self defense."

"Not from what I heard." Koenma took a deep breath to calm himself, and looked back at Kurama. "As much as I'd like to call you a liar, it's only fair I hear your side of the story."

Kurama began, "As you may know, before I committed the crime, I was a servant of Inari's. At that time, he possessed a small group of youko, like myself. At first, I was merely happy to have his divine protection- I had gained many enemies in my time as a thief and sought relief from their attacks. However, I soon learned I had been manipulated- those that served under Inari were bound to perform the tasks that he assigned us. Many of these tasks, I soon found, were not things I agreed with and many seemed to be humiliating tasks he forced us to do for his own amusement."

Koenma grimaced. As much as he loved his uncle, who had always been kind to him and his father, he did have a reputation for being somewhat cruel to those that served beneath him.

"I came to Inari to ask for my freedom and he refused me. He assigned me the task of murdering another one of my companions, as punishment, to which I was forced to comply. It was at that point that I attacked him out of anger, utilizing a _shinsatsuki_ that I had stolen years before."

_So that's how he did it,_ Koenma thought, both terrified of the concept and amazed at it's existence. _Shinsatsuki_, otherwise known as God Killers, were weapons crafted by the enemies of Shinkai, the realm of the gods. Demons, humans, and the like did not possess the ability to kill a god, no matter how powerful they became, yet with the help of a shinsatsuki all one needed to do was make a single strike to the heart, and the god would be destroyed.

"As you know, I was unsuccessful, and greatly injured in the ensuing fight. That was when your hunter found me- I believe the rest lies within your report."

Koenma's head was reeling- if what Kurama said was true, then he could understand his impulse. Inari was not a criminal in his father's eyes, but he wasn't what one could call a kind god either. However, there was always the chance that Kurama was lying. He wished Hotaru was here- she was much better at spotting liars than he was. That's when it hit him.

"I will allow you to serve your punishment as assistant to the spirit detective," he announced.

Without warning, George lifted his arms in victory, "Good call, Lord Koenma!"

Koenma turned to him sharply, "No one asked you, ogre!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't help myself!" He replied, swooning in happiness. "I understand the pain of serving someone who is-"

Koenma eyed him dangerously and thankfully he shut up. He was finally grateful for the stupidity of ogres- they were too stupid to even _use_ a shinsatsuki, muchless _find_ one.

Kurama bowed, smiling widely. Koenma thought he even noticed tears welling in his eyes. "Thank you, Lord Koenma. I will serve you and Reikai to the best of my ability."

"Glad to have you aboard," Koenma replied, not returning his smile. "But there is a condition- one of our staff will draw up a contract. Understand, these contracts cannot be broken- they possess magical power and you will be bound to it. You must agree that you will never, in this life or the next, attempt to murder or otherwise hurt _any_ member of Reikai. Can you agree to this?"

"Yes. _Thank you._"

**Hotaru**

"What the hell is this?" demanded Hotaru with a cocked eyebrow. She had only returned to Ningenkai about an hour ago after having some healers in Reikai remove the jaw wiring- Kurama had done her the favor of removing the casts, but the wiring was deeply embedded and required professional attention. Even with two healers working to remove the wires, it had taken a few hours. Koenma had asked her to draw up some contract as well, but she hadn't been paying much attention when she wrote it- even with the healer's abilities, having wire ripped from your jaw fucking_ hurt _so she had been a bit wonky on painkillers_._

Once she was free of it, she set out to find Hiei, prepared for yet another long search. However, this time she had found him rather quickly... or rather, he had found _her_. He was apparently so proud of his new crazy ass plan he felt the need to brag before it was even completed.

Hiei stood before her in the stance of a mad-villan with his eyes wide and menacing, "It's perfect, isn't it? With his little girlfriend here, the spirit detective is sure to come to try and save her... AND THEN I'LL CUT HIM TO PIECES WITH MY KOUMAKEN!" He started to cackle maniacally.

"Are you serious?" Hotaru asked, crossing her arms and giving Hiei a hard look.

He just grinned in return, "Of course I am. And that's not all! I've cut the girl with the sword- not deadly, but just enough... BEFORE THAT BOY DIES, I'LL MAKE HIM WATCH HER TURN INTO A DEMON!"

Hotaru simply sighed as Hiei broke into more maniacal laughter. Once he had quieted, she approached him slowly, "Look, Hiei, I know you think this is a good idea-"

"GOOD IDEA!? IT'S PERFECT!"

"Oh my god, do you not realize how crazy you sound right now?" she pleaded. "It's the sword, Hiei."

"YES THE SWORD! IT AMPLIFIES MY POWERS TO REGIONS UNIMAGINABLE!"

"Oh my god." Hotaru rolled her eyes, unsure of what exactly to say – how do you convince a crazy person that they're crazy?

Hiei glared at her hard, "Are you skeptical?"

"Of course I'm skeptical," she retorted.

"You're just like them! Spineless!" he yelled.

"Look, bro, I'm not, it's just… I mean, taking Keiko? That's totally unnecessary. Just… just let me see it, real quick."

"The sword?" he repeated, before laughing again. "What sort of fool do you take me for!?"

"I'm not, Hiei, just—"

"YOU'RE ON THEIR SIDE, AREN'T YOU?!" he demanded.

She did her best to give an innocent smile, "No, of course not. I just want to examine it for a minute, you know? Make sure it's not a fake."

"Oh I can assure you, its power is real," he said softly, watching light gleam off of its surface.

_Yea, I can see that,_ she thought. "So, may I see it?"

She reached out and Hiei swung the sword at her in response. Hotaru barely backed out of the way, the blade skimming her bangs and trimming them slightly. "Hiei, chill out—"

"YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS MASTER!"

"Oh, now you have _totally_ lost it!" she screamed.

"AND YOU HAVE LOST YOUR LIFE!" he swung at her again. His speed was quick, far faster than Hotaru could move.

All she could do to get away was fall back on her butt. She placed her hands in front of her face, smiling again, though far more nervous, "Stop! I'm on your side…" He slowed, staring down at her with furious eyes, his Jagan glowing red. She grimaced, but realized it was for the best, and conceded, "… Master Hiei."

He grinned, pleased, and lowered his weapon. "Good to see you've come to your senses. Now leave," he commanded. "I have a spirit detective to destroy."

"Sure thing… uh, Master," she said, scrambling to her feet and running out of the warehouse. She went as fast as her legs could carry her, until she was safely out of sight, and then went to work drawing a portal. _I definitely can't do this on my own._

She emerged at the front gates of Reikai. She wasn't allowed to create portals to the inside directly- it was some sort of barrier that blocked her. Making up for lost time, she ran at full speed to Koenma's office, through the long entry way, through the mail room, and finally slammed through the doors.

Severely out of breath, she fell to her knees, speaking between heavy breaths, "Hiei... he... is doing something... stupid... he's... too... strong... Yusuke..."

As her breath came back and her heartbeat slowed, she soon realized that Koenma was not alone in his office. He sat at his desk in his oversized chair with George to his right, as usual. But to his left was a new presence.

"What... the fuck... are you doing here?" she panted out, giving Kurama a hard glare.

He simply smiled at her, which just made her more angry, "I'm serving my sentence. You weren't aware? I had assumed Koenma was speaking about you when he said someone was drawing a contract for me."

The realization hit her hard and she felt like an idiot. She turned to Koenma, "You can't be serious."

"I was and I am," he said proudly, "This is the best solution. He was far too dangerous to keep locked up, and now we have him on our side."

"I told you to send him to Makai!"

"Well I don't have to take advice from you!" retorted Koenma. He sat back with a satisfied smile, "My dad even said so."

"Hotaru, what was it you were saying? About Hiei and Yusuke?" Kurama asked. If she didn't know any better, he almost seemed genuinely worried.

"Right! Okay, well, basically, Hiei is crazy as shit and he's taken Keiko hostage and it's all really... well, shitty, and so we need to go save him. From what Hiei told me, Yusuke should be on his way there now, if he hasn't gotten there already."

"I knew that guy was trouble!" Koenma shouted, in reference to Hotaru's flippant description of Hiei's powers days earlier.

Kurama stepped forward, "Perhaps I am needed after all. Koenma, if you'll allow me, I think my power may be more than sufficient to help Yusuke."

Koenma didn't take time to think it over, "Yes! Perfect! Now go, before Yusuke gets killed!"

Hotaru, too worried about Yusuke's safety, didn't even bother to complain about her company. They ran together back through the halls- Hotaru's portal still stood and they jumped through before she closed it.

"That power must be convenient," remarked Kurama with a grin.

Hotaru merely looked away, suspicious of hidden insults or meanings within the comment. "Look, let's just get going."

They were only a few warehouses down from where the fight was taking place and, much to Hotaru's displeasure, they broke out into another run. As they ran, Hotaru filled Kurama in between heavy breaths, "—and you can't kill _either _of them, okay? And try not to touch that sword too much or even you might—" Kurama suddenly stopped. "What are you doing?" Hotaru couldn't figure out his reasoning until a powerful stench invaded her nose.

She clasped both hands over her face, retching slightly, "Oh god, what is that?!" It smelled like rotting human flesh and gasoline mixed together, with the thickness of a heavy fog. It was repulsive.

"That scent is unmistakable. Hiei must be desperate to take that form," Kurama replied cryptically, taking off running again towards Warehouse 17.

As they approached, Hotaru began to hang back – she had no intention of being held at the tip of Hiei's stupid cursed blade again. She could hear his stupid voice from well outside the building however and she couldn't help but scoff again at how crazy he was sounding. He was normally quite composed, and certainly not the type to yell out his whole plan before the job was done like some James Bond villain. As she waited outside the door, Kurama ran headlong into the fray.

"Go get 'em!" she whispered quietly.

She breathed a sigh of relief—Kurama was, she assumed, stronger than Hiei and most definitely in a better mental state. Yusuke's safety would be guaranteed, and Hiei wouldn't end up dead. She thought it was the perfect solution until she heard a sickening sound of metal through flesh and blood.

She looked in quickly, her eyes wide as she noticed Kurama perfectly impaled upon Hiei's sword. She could hardly believe it… not that Kurama was injured, but rather how quickly he had gotten injured and how serious an injury it was. _Why is everyone so stupid? Why the hell did he do that?_

"You really have gone insane!" yelled Hiei, the irony of his comment entirely lost on him.

Kurama then collected blood from his open wound and threw it in Hiei's face. Stumbling backwards, Hiei dropped the sword and clutched at his Jagan – "My eye! My Jagan eye!"

"Hey, I've come untied!" Yusuke said, noticing that his magic bonds had disappeared.

"The eyes on Hiei's body are merely for amplification," explained Kurama, "Without the Jagan exposed on his forehead, his powers become useless."

Hotaru's brow furrowed as she listened on, _Is that really how it works? And wait… couldn't he have just thrown some sand in his eye? Or spit in it? Was it really necessary to throw himself in front of the blade like some ritual sacrifice? _The thought crossed her mind that perhaps Kurama actually _was_ suicidal.

"Are you okay?" Yusuke asked worriedly as Kurama doubled over slightly, clutching his wound, which bled heavily.

"I'm fine," Kurama reassured him, "Only a minor hole in my stomach."

"You didn't have to do that…"

"I'm alive only because of you," Kurama replied with a pained smile, "Please, allow me to pay my debt. You must handle Hiei and I will use my powers to keep the girl from transforming."

"Kurama…"

Yuusuke looked truly touched as Kurama nodded to him to go on with the fight. Hotaru watched, irritated that somehow Kurama was getting all the credit. It was only because of her that he was here at all. As he approached Keiko and Botan, Hotaru attempted to catch Kurama's attention, in order to silently signify to him that he was an absolute idiot for getting himself stabbed in under 30 seconds. However, something else caught her attention.

In response to Hiei's comments regarding Kurama's 'treachery', Yusuke had approached him. His face looked determined and his fists were clenched tightly – he was clearly ready for a second round. His spirit energy began to spike, generating a visible aura of power around his entire figure.

However, it wasn't the presence of the aura that caught Hotaru's attention, but rather it's color—a deep and vivid red. A smile spread across her face as she looked on, it's color growing more vibrant by the second. _It's happening! Oh thank god, it's happening!_

She didn't have time to enjoy her moment, though, as Hiei landed a hard punch, knocking Yusuke off guard and causing his aura to disappear. Aside from being too slow to hit Hiei, or to avoid a few of his punches, Yusuke seemed to be doing fine against him. Hotaru wondered vaguely for a moment if Kurama's presence was really needed – all he was doing was sitting back against a crate, clutching his now openly bleeding stomach.

_What a useless guy,_ she thought, being forced to ponder if someone like _that_ could really be the legendary spirit fox.

As the fight came to an end, Yusuke outsmarted Hiei – obviously due to the effects of the sword. Not watching one's own back is a rookie mistake, and very unlike Hiei's character, but was exactly the kind of over-confident, plan-ruining bullshit that the Koumaken was known for.

Once he was down for the count, Botan, Yusuke, and Kurama set about restoring Keiko and the other human slaves to their proper, truly human selves. Watching the production from between two crates, Hotaru was truly dying to make her entrance, but she had promised Koenma that she wouldn't interfere, and this probably seemed a bit like interference. She decided she'd wait- eventually Koenma would come around.

For now, it was time to celebrate.


	5. Chapter 5: Things Begin to Boil

**Hiei **

Hiei sat on the cold, hard floor with his back to the wall. The bars before him were thick, but they were merely metal. He had attempted to break them, using only his raw strength, but found them sturdier than they appeared. The walls were made of stone which he also found too difficult to break. He had finally accepted the fact that he wouldn't be able to break out... at least, not until a guard came. He figured all he had to do was choke the next one that showed his face and steal his key- then it would just be a matter of escaping the rest of the palace. It would be difficult, but even being killed on the run had to be better than sitting in a cell awaiting judgment.

The cell was dark, save for the small amount of light that came from a few fluorescents down the hall. Hiei liked the darkness though and especially now, as his head was pounding. The headache had started a few hours after that spirit detective had defeated him- he was already in his cell at that time, having been apprehended in his stupor by Reikai authorities. Hiei had no way to tell how long he had been in the cell, but he knew it had been quite some time and the headache had yet to relent.

The past week had been a blur. The last thing he could remember clearly was escaping Reikai with Kurama and that bumbling oaf Gouki. The rest was merely a fog- memories in bits and pieces. He had been told that the sword had infected his mind, but he wasn't so quick to believe silly stories. Nevertheless, his head did hurt.

The one who had told him was Kurama. The fox had apparently begged for mercy from the king, or as he called it, 'negotiated'. It was an idea which thoroughly disgusted Hiei. He had been put on trial as well, but at his there was little mercy, and even less begging. They hadn't even given him the honor of meeting with the true king of Reikai- instead he had been forced to meet with his son, a minor god that resembled a human child.

The child had accused him of attempting to raise an army to destroy Ningenkai. Hiei certainly didn't remember any of that, though he did admit to the child that he didn't find the idea entirely repulsive. Too much work for too little payoff, perhaps, but the thought of that disgusting place going up in flames did amuse him. He had not attempted to hide this fact.

Being unable to cooperate, or as he thought of it, bend to their will, he had been sentenced to death. Imprisonment was a crime for thieves, they claimed- only death would be a suitable punishment for one intent on generalized destruction. Hiei didn't mind though as the threat of death was nothing new to him, not to mention that he now had nothing to lose- he could put all his energy into escaping this vile place and the worst that could happen would be that he ended up right where he started.

He heard footsteps and felt a presence approaching. The energy was weak and he smiled to himself. Whoever this one was, they could no doubt be taken out easily and he'd be one step closer to freedom. However, as the footsteps neared, he realized that this was no guard and was instead Hotaru. Hiei and Hotaru had met many times in the past and every time they had, it had meant she was there to pester him about something. As such, he was not very excited to see her.

"So... I see your little plan worked out," she said with a cocky smile.

She kept her distance from the bars, staying out of arms reach. Apparently, she wasn't as dumb as she looked.

"I heard an interesting thing the other day..." she began slowly, "_Apparently_, you've been sentenced to death and _apparently_ you've made absolutely no effort to reverse this decision. But I know that's not true, right?"

"Hn."

Hotaru's brow visibly twitched, but her voice didn't seem very irritated. "They said that you claimed at your trial that you would 'love to see Ningekai burn'. But not even you could be _that_ stupid, could you?"

"... Hn."

"_I _told them that you were just being a proud- I told them you'd cooperate, in order to get your sentence reduced. It took quite a lot of convincing and _way_ more time out of my schedule than I had hoped, but congratulations! It looks like they've agreed that if you can demonstrate actual remorse for your actions, then they'll agree to an alternative punishment. That sounds pretty good, right?"

"... Hn."

"This wasn't easy, you know. I had to do quite a bit and promise even more in order for them to agree. So... I mean... you'll behave, right?"

"... Hn."

"OH MY FUCKING GOD WOULD YOU STOP!?" she suddenly screamed. "That is _literally_ the most annoying fucking noise I've ever heard someone make."

He looked up at her in silence and then relented. "I'm sorry you went to the trouble," he began, in a tone that clearly expressed he was _not_ actually sorry. "But perhaps you should have bothered to _ask_ me first. I already told Kurama... I have no intention to beg for my life like a coward."

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "You don't have to _beg,_ just stop being such a difficult little asshole."

Hiei flinched. He did not like being called 'little'.

She continued, "All I need you to do is say you don't want to kill all humans and that you aren't going to try to raise some crazy army again. Is that really so hard?"

"If they think I'm some monster hellbent on destruction, let them. It doesn't bother me."

"Maybe it doesn't bother you but it will _kill_ you."

Hiei went silent again and resumed staring at the walls. They were far more interesting that this girl ever was.

She waited, as patiently as she could, before she finally shrugged and began to walk away, "Fine then. I guess I'll just have to go tell Yukina that-"

He was at the bars before she could take another step, staring at her dangerously, "What did you say?"

She turned back with a wicked smile, "Yukina... she's in the human world and _I_ know where to find her."

"How do you know about her?" he snapped.

Hotaru laughed, making the pain in Hiei's head spike again as it echoed off the walls. "I know a lot of things Hiei. It's my _job_ to know things." He stared her down for a moment, as she stood there smiling, looking so proud of herself. Then he fell back, resuming his seat, and her smile fell. She crossed her arms, "You seriously don't want to know where she is? Haven't you spent the last... fucking like 10 years or whatever looking for her?"

Hiei merely smiled to himself, replying in a low voice, "I have. And I highly doubt that somehow you were able to find her before I did. The girl is dead."

"Is that what you've been telling yourself in here? What, so you don't feel guilty about giving up so easily?" He looked up at her with a fierce glare but she didn't seem to mind. The bars between them appeared to give her comfort. "If you think I'm lying, then take a look at this."

She reached into her pocket to retrieve something and rolled it across the floor to Hiei. It seemed to almost glow, reflecting even the small amount of light within the cell. Hiei's eyes widened as it came closer- it truly was a hiruiseki. He picked it up, rolling it between his fingers, and then placed it within his pocket.

He didn't say anything, but Hotaru didn't seem to mind this time, instead speaking to him in a sickenly sweet voice, "So, I guess that means you're willing to cooperate?"

Hiei refused to make eye contact with her, "Tell me where she is, and _maybe_ I will."

"No buddy, not this time." She grinned at him, "You cooperate and once you're serving your new punishment, _then_ I'll tell you. Now... wipe that scary look off your face and start practicing your 'I'm Sorry's, cause right now they sound really fucking insincere."

**Koenma **

Koenma stood nervously in the large, mostly empty room. The last time he had been in this room was to recieve punishment for his failure to keep his father's personal vault secure, so he was naturally a bit worried about being here again- especially so soon.

"Tell me about the new detective," his father said, not bothering to look at him. Koenma couldn't help but wonder why _that_ was his father's main concern- in just the past few days he had taken both an ex-criminal and an attempted god-killer in. Yet that news didn't seem to bother him.

Koenma cleared his throat and tried to proceed as calmly as possible, "I've been monitoring him closely ever since his candidacy was announced and he appears to be performing admirably. He managed to succeed in completing both cases I have assigned him so far, as well as passing preliminary tests regarding his moral fortitude."

"Is he strong?"

"Uh, yes, he appears to be, though I have sought him a trainer as well. The psychic Genkai is holding a tournament today and I have sent him to enter. Coincidentally, a powerful demon is competing there as well. If he is truly what Hotaru says he is, then I hope he will be able to destroy this demon and gain a new teacher in the process."

"Hmmm," was his father's only reply for quite a long while. Finally he spoke once more, his voice booming through the chamber, as it always did, "I worry about this boy."

"Um, pardon me, father, but wasn't it you that approved it?" Koenma asked timidly, unsure if he should address that fact at all.

His father did not get angry though, thankfully. "I did approve it, however I fear I may have acted too quickly. Are you sure the boy is trustworthy?"

"I have performed all the necessary background checks, all of which he passed."

"And you feel that is sufficient?"

"I have also given him a spirit beast," Koenma replied, "If he truly does turn out to be a problem, as Sensui did, it should keep us from having to... ahem, _deal_ with him."

Once again, Enma took a long moment to mull over his sons words.

"Does something still worry you?" Koenma asked, a bit off put by his father's lack of approval.

"Continue to watch him," Enma stated plainly. "While I feel you have done well, we must be careful. A recommendation from Hotaru is not to be trusted without thorough investigation."

Koenma was slightly confused, "But father, we've taken many recommendations from her in the past. Not for detective candidates, yes, but on many other matters and she has yet to be wrong."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But still, be careful."

**Hotaru******

Hotaru skipped merrily down the hall of Sakyou's estate towards his "special" room. She had visited Sensui's apartment after seeing Hiei only to find it empty- she could only assume that he had left without her to go and kill the Toguro Brothers and was eager to rub Sakyou's face in her victory. The guards did not bother her this time, and she entered his viewing booth without any problems.

When she entered, he was seated in his black chair, as he had been when they first met. She took a gleeful seat next to him, giving him a sly smile that went unregarded.

After a few moments without him even acknowledging her presence, she spoke up, "Sooo... you, uh... heard any news, lately?"

He sipped at his scotch nonchalantly, "There's a tsunami in Kyushu- killed a few children, and an old man."

"Uh, cool. Um... anything else?" she asked in a leading tone.

"There was an election in Cambo-"

"- I mean about the fight!" she yelled. She sunk down in her chair, "Asshole."

Sakyou laughed, "Oh, yes, the fight. It seems it went well. Tell me, when can you begin?"

She looked at him with narrowed eyes, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he began, "When do you intend to fulfill your part of the bargain?"

"I don't... um... pardon?"

"Your man lost."

"What!?" Hotaru was in disbelief. _Sensui is like 10,000x stronger than the Toguros. How could he lose!? There's no way... this guy has to be fucking with me._

Sakyou smiled at her, "Surprised? I figured you would be. He was indeed powerful, or so I've heard."

"What the fuck happened?" she demanded. "There's no way the Toguros could win against him."

"You are right about that," Sakyou replied, taking a sip of scotch.

Hotaru waited for an explanation that didn't come. "Seriously. What the fuck happened?"

"As I said, he lost."

"Yes, but _how_?"

"It would appear my man Toguro is made of more than just muscles. He did some very convincing negotiating, or so he tells me."

"So Sensui lost _on purpose_?"

"It would seem so."

"But he can't do that! And even if he did, that doesn't mean that... oh... shit, fuck," she exclaimed. _I never wrote that losing on purpose didn't count. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck._

Sakyou seemed amused, "It seems we've found a new supporter of our cause."

"This is unbelievable. You can't do this! _He_, especially, _can't. Do. This._"

"Oh, that reminds me," Sakyou said with a tone that implied he didn't actually forget, but rather felt like leaving this bit for last. It was irksome. "Mr. Sensui wanted me to give you a message."

"What?"

"He said that your agreement is off. He no longer requires your help and therefore won't be fighting for you any longer." Now it was his turn to give her a sly smile, "I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that was the essence of it."

Hotaru stood to leave, furious. "Fine. Fuck you _and_ him then. Trust me, you'll be sorry for this. Reikai won't take to this kindly."

"Don't make empty threats, Hotaru. It's quite pathetic," he chided, "Mr. Sensui informed us of the capabilities of Reikai and it would seem that with him on our side, they have no power against us."

_He might be right about that... 10 years ago Sensui could rival even the top SDF agents, I can only imagine how powerful he might have become since then..._

She turned to leave in a huff until Sakyou spoke up, "Where are you going? Have you forgotten end of the bargain?"

Hotaru placed her hands on her hips and sighed, though it was a sigh of relief. She turned back to him with a smile, one that obviously perplexed him. "You're right, I did agree to... oh, what was it... 'use my demon power to further your cause'?"

He was significantly less amused than he had been moments ago. Hotaru was waiting for a particular type of response, something to heighten the drama, but it didn't come. Instead he merely asked, "Are you going to tell me what the catch is, or would you prefer I try guessing?"

"Well, I was _hoping_ you would guess, but I can just tell you. See, the thing is, you wanted me to use my _demon _power to help you and well..."

"Well?"

"_Well_, I'm not a demon. So fuck you."


	6. Chapter 6: The Golden God

**Hotaru**

She stood in line at the convenience store, waiting to buy some beer so she could go back to her apartment and sulk some more. Her situation had gone from bad to worse.

She had been forced to go to Enma to explain that the tunnel problem had not been solved. At first he was angry- he knew as well as she did that his forces would be significantly troubled by Sensui- but she had managed to calm him down after explaining Sensui's illness. They had settled on waiting it out- as long as the barrier still stood, a tunnel didn't pose any _significant_ problem, as lower class demons often passed through even without the help of tunnels. They would only need to wait for Sensui to pass away and then make a harder, stronger move against Sakyou.

Enma had threatened to remove Yusuke from his post and return him to his previous, far more dead, state, but Hotaru had also thankfully been able to catch him on that. Their agreement clearly stated that she had to do whatever was in her power to stop Sakyou and, in her mind, she had. That was twice today semantics had saved her skin and she was incredibly grateful for it.

However, even that had failed to lift her mood. Afterall, she had, quite accidentally, created a team of super villans. Her and Sakyou may be drinking buddies at some point in time, but he had obviously lost it, if he ever had it, and adding Sensui and _his_ crazy to the equation was seriously bad news. Even if Sensui _was_ going to die in a year, it could very well come to pass that Yusuke would be forced to face him before that time came and that was certainly _not_ an option, at least not with Yusuke in his present state. _And_ even if he didn't, there was always the possibility that they'd succeed in their crazy-ass plan and then Ningenkai would be ruined, which also sucked. Hotaru liked Ningenkai just the way it was- the weather was better and so long as you didn't hang out in Somalia no one tried to kill you every five minutes.

All in all it had been a frustrating day, and it wasn't even noon yet. She payed for her beer and went into an alley further down the street. Normally she'd just walk- her apartment was only a few blocks down the road- but she didn't feel up to it with her current mood.

Drawing a portal on the wall, she stepped through, directly into her apartment, and closed it behind her by dragging her foot across its border. She had transported into her entry way and removed her shoes before moving to the kitchen to stow the beer. Her apartment, the one across from Yusuke's, had three rooms, not counting the entry way: a living room/kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. It was certainly spacious, being on the nice side of town and all, but she lacked enough money to furnish it properly, so even now it remained mostly empty.

She walked into the kitchen and suddenly let out a shriek, dropping the bag and causing one of the cans to explode.

"How the fuck did you get in here!?" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the man leaning against her kitchen counter. He was tall and finely dressed, with a long, handsome face and piercing blue eyes. His skin was fair and his hair a sharp black, long and straight and tied tightly behind his head in a pony tail. The god of rice, tea, and Sake, of fertility and agriculture, of prosperity, industry, and worldly success- Inari Daimyoujin.

He smiled at her- that bright, white, winning smile, "Is that really a question?"

She supposed it hadn't been- being a god, Inari was capable of going anywhere he wished. She gave him a sarcastic smile and retrieved her beer from the floor. She stacked the undamaged cans in the fridge and poured what remained of the broken one into a glass.

She turned back to the handsome god. "What I _meant_ was, 'what the fuck are you doing here'?"

"I'm here to collect," he replied happily. Hotaru's face fell instantly and he laughed. "I'm only kidding. I'm not holding you responsible... that demon you work for, however, is another story."

"Hey, don't threaten him. At least not yet." She leaned across from him, sipping her beer, and he gave her a slightly disappointed look.

"Have you even eaten breakfast yet?"

"This _is_ my breakfast."

"Oh that's so sad, Hotaru."

"Yea, well, if you wanna give me some rice then maybe I'll consider an alternative."

"I'm not a god of charity."

"But you _are _a god of rice, so shouldn't it be free?"

"Just because it's free for me doesn't mean it's free for you. My benefits are not transitive," he replied. He helped himself to one of Hotaru's beers and she scowled at him.

"But I guess my stuff _is_ transitive?"

"As if you don't already owe me millions," he replied. Hotaru shrugged- he did have a point. "By the way, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"If it's about Kurama, save it. It wasn't my idea."

"But can't you _do_ something about it?" Inari whined.

"Obviously not," she replied, "If I could, don't you think I would have?"

Inari sighed and took a sip, looking slightly disgusted afterwards. "This is horrible."

"Hey now, don't take my stuff and then complain about it."

"But it tastes _cheap_."

"It _is_ cheap." Hotaru didn't mind his insults. Normally she loved drinking with the god, but today was different. "Look, I'm not really in the mood to hang out or anything, so if that's what you've come for-"

"-Oh, no, I actually have some business to take care of as well. I just heard something that I thought you might be interested in. Apparently the psychic Genkai is holding a tournament to decide her new apprentice and your boy Yusuke is one of the competitors."

Hotaru was happy to hear he might be getting a mentor, but the prospect of Yusuke competing against trained fighters was a bit uncomfortable. She ruffled her hair in frustration. "Well that's shitty. I guess I'll have to talk to Koenma about it."

"Actually perhaps it would be best if you spoke to Genkai directly," Inari replied, placing the unfinished beer on the counter, which Hotaru quickly picked up and poured into her own glass.

"Why?"

"Well the tournament is today. In fact, it started about an hour ago," he said. Hotaru's face fell into open-mouthed shock. She quickly went to draw a portal. She was about to step through when she remembered her beer on the counter and drank it all in a single go. Inari rolled is eyes, "Oh yes, of course, can't forget that."

"It _is_ the most important meal of the day."

**Genkai**

Genkai stood above the competitors, watching from the second floor as they made their way through the games she had specially prepared to test their capabilities. Some were doing well, others were mediocre. The only remarkable two appeared to be two young boys- they obviously lacked training, unlike the other competitors, but seemed to have tremendous power despite that fact, which was intriguing. One was remarkably spiritually aware while the other seemed to possess extensive spiritual power.

Suddenly, she heard a 'psst' behind her and turned. The door to the second floor was open just a crack, and out from the crack poked a tangled head of hair in a baggy white cap. A hand extended, beckoning her with a finger.

Genkai smiled and walked over, stepping momentarily out of the gaming room. Hotaru stood before her, red faced and covered in sweat.

"Have a nice walk?"

"Oh totally," she spat sarcastically, wiping the sweat from her brow, "Can't you take that stupid thing down?" Hotaru was speaking of Genkai's barrier that surrounded her property. It prevented the creation of portals directly onto her lands, as well as other demonic tricks.

"As much as I appreciate your visits," she began, "There are many more things I'd prefer to keep out. Specifically things that might try to murder me in my sleep."

Hotaru lit up a cigarette and offered one to Genkai, which Genkai accepted. She and Hotaru were fairly well acquainted- they had first met back when Genkai was a competitor in the Dark Tournament. Her meeting Hotaru had proven to be one of the few, or really the _only _highlight of the trip. She didn't visit often though, most likely due to the arduous walk it took to reach the temple. The last time she had shown up had been nearly ten years ago.

"So what do you want?" Genkai asked plainly, puffing on the gifted cigarette. It was cheap, as many of Hotaru's things were, but Genkai wasn't one for looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Hotaru gave her a look of feigned disappointment, "Why do you always assume I _want_ something? Can't I just stop by to say hello?"

"Right. You just happened to show up on the day I'm picking my apprentice."

"Was that _today_?" she replied. Genkai gave her a hard look and she laughed, "Okay fine. I _maybe_ heard about it."

Genkai took another puff and sighed, "So which one do you want me to pick?"

Hotaru looked a bit surprised, then smiled, "Really? Ha, I was going to do a whole spiel but since you asked... that boy Yusuke Urameshi, if you would be so kind!"

"Good, now I know who to disqualify."

"Hey! Don't do that!"

Genkai grinned at her, "It was a joke. He's not going to be disqualified just because he knows you. This is a fair tournament where the strongest fighter gets the prize."

"And what about the fighter with the strongest letter of recommendation?"

"Stop trying to persuade me, you'll only embarrass yourself," Genkai stated simply. Hotaru looked crushed. "He's pretty strong, that kid. I think he's got a fair shot, so long as he plays it smart."

"'Smart' isn't exactly his thing..."

"Well then you better hope he _gets_ smart."

"Oh come on Genkai, just let him win, would you?" Hotaru whined. "You'll like him, I promise!"

"It's not about who I like, it's about who's the strongest," Genkai replied, "I have no intention of giving over my power to someone too weak to properly use it."

"But he's not trained! He can't match up against all those guys out there!"

"If that's your defense, it's a shit one. You're only proving my point." Hotaru grimaced at the realization and hung her head in defeat. "If you don't want him fighting, convince him to withdraw yourself."

"But..." She shuffled her feet nervously, mumbling under her breath, "... I'm not supposed to interfere..."

Genkai smiled in return, "Well if that's the case then you're welcome to watch."

"Ugh, no thanks. Watching sweaty men punch each other isn't really my thing." She paused before going to leave, "Are you _sure_ there isn't anything I can do to convince you to stop all this?"

"I'm sure."

"Can you at least promise he won't die?"

"Heh, and open myself up to a lawsuit? No promises." Hotaru frowned at her and Genkai merely smiled in return. "The relationship between an apprentice and master is based on things you wouldn't understand. Don't take it personally, but I can't have my apprentice determined by someone who couldn't even beat up a child."

"Hey, I could beat up a child if I wanted to!"

Genkai turned to leave, "I'll let you know who wins."

"Good. I can announce it at his eulogy."

**Kurama**

He stood at attention, facing the young god directly. Koenma seemed to be significantly less frightened of him that he had been only a little over a week ago. Most likely Hotaru's contract gave him comfort, which he supposed was legitimate. He didn't understand what magic 'bound' him to fulfill his part of the deal, but he did know that the punishment for breaking it was death and having his soul crushed into 1,000 pieces, so he wasn't exactly eager to try. It didn't matter however- he didn't mind working for Reikai. The work was simple and his overseers, Koenma and King Enma, were far better than the last god he had been employed by. Besides, he figured that working for the most powerful god in all three realms must have its advantages.

"Thank you for arriving so promptly, Kurama," Koenma said in a rather professional tone- or at least as professional as he could with a pacifier in his mouth.

Kurama bowed lightly, "Of course, Koenma. Do you have another project for me?"

"I do," he replied. "You've done well, Kurama. I suppose I should have expected it, but so far you've managed to surpass any of our other demonic emissaries, not only in numbers but also in quality of work. Well done!"

For his first assignments, Kurama had been tasked with fairly menial jobs- a bit of paperwork or intelligence gathering in the large library in Reikai's lower levels. After he had completed those projects, each in nearly half the time estimated, he had been assigned more difficult tasks- the hunting of demon criminals from the human world or the retrieval of earth-bound souls. These he had accomplished quickly as well- the demons he was assigned were fairly weak, too weak even to be assigned to the spirit detective and the earth bound souls were quick to convince. All of this he had managed to do while still maintaining his "normal" human life, as well, which was quite a relief. It appeared he wouldn't have to tell his mother any life-altering news anytime soon.

"The next task I've assigned for you is one normally left for the ogres, however my father has said he wishes to make it your responsibility. Why, I'm not sure, but it's not my business to question his orders," Koenma began. He then looked at Kurama gravely, "Tell me- are you aware of the story of the four dragons?"

Kurama was a bit taken aback, but not entirely surprised, "I haven't heard it told in over 100 years. If I remember correctly, the four dragons were the divine associates of King Enma, put in place to carry the dead to their judgement. There was the black, the white, the silver, and the golden, and each was incredibly powerful. They worked together until 3,000 years ago when the black sought to rebel. He won the other three to his cause and they staged an attack on Reikai. However, due to falling victim to various vices, they failed. The white was a drunk and fell on his own claws, the silver was a coward and fled, the black was weak and was defeated, and the golden fell in love with King Enma himself, and was killed by her brothers for her treason. Ever since then, the ferry girls have carried the dead- it's said the reason they no longer carry demons to judgement is out of punishment for siding with the rebellion."

"You remember it well."

"It is a common story told to demon children in their youth," Kurama replied. "Apparently it is told to teach them the value of teamwork. They say if the dragons had stuck together, they wouldn't have failed."

Koenma frowned, "I guess it shouldn't be surprising that we're the villains." He shook his head and continued, "Nevertheless! The reason I asked you is because that legend is actually based on true events."

"Many are, although they tend to be manipulated in order to provide a clear moral."

Koenma nodded in agreement, "As this one was. There were indeed four dragons and each was a master of a different world. The black ruled the Makai, the white the Ningenkai, the golden the Reikai, and the silver ruled a fourth world, which was completely destroyed in the rebellion, the Zenkai. They did indeed rise up against my father and were indeed defeated, but that is not the end of the story. You see, Kurama, _three_ of the dragons fell, however the fourth one still lives."

"And which might that be?" Kurama asked, genuinely intrigued. In all his years he had heard the Legend of the Divine War a thousand times, but he had never heard of this.

"The golden dragon, Go-Kintaisetsuryuu, still lives and resides within this very palace," Koenma began in a very serious tone. "Whether or not she truly loved my father, I don't know, but she does exist- I have seen her. And so shall you."

"As a part of my new task?"

"Indeed," Koenma began, "One of my ogres will lead you to where she is kept. You see, gods, although we are immortal, may become frail or angry if left unfed while residing outside of Shinkai. Because of this we must feed her once every year, in order to keep her complacent- _you_ will be in charge of feeding her this time."

Kurama was almost afraid to ask, but he felt it would be better to not be surprised. "Feeding her... _what_, exactly?"

Koenma let out a sudden laugh, "Oh! Don't look so scared! It's only a cow. Hah! What did you think I would say, 'humans'? Haha!"

Kurama let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Actually, that was exactly what I thought you would say."

"Oh come on, Kurama, we're not _evil_," Koenma replied dismissively. Without warning, he became serious again, "Now don't let your guard down. From what the ogres have told me, she can sometimes become a bit... well... _fussy._"

"I will be careful," Kurama replied with a bow.

It was the seventieth flight of stairs they had descended and Kurama was beginning to wonder just how much further they would have to go. The ogre who escorted him was quite old- he had been the keeper of these halls for over 300 years, or so he said- and every step took him three times as long as a younger man would have required. Behind him, Kurama led a large cow which was blindfolded, so Kurama could lead it willingly to its death without it succumbing to panic. It's horns were quite long and curved upward, joining at the top to resemble a halo. Aside from that, however, it appeared a normal cow, complete with a normal cow's smell and its temperament. Keeping it in line behind the old man had proven to be difficult work.

As they approached the bottom of the stairs, Kurama was relieved to learn that this was the last. At the bottom, the stairwell opened into a long, dark hallway. Thankfully, the old ogre carried with him a torch, an old relic that had seemed out of place seventy flights of stairs ago. Almost all of the upper levels had been renovated to have a more modern appeal- fluorescent lighting, automated doors, and the like- but this hall looked entirely ancient. The walls were made of crumbling stone, and ice-cold to the touch. They sported no decorative features, either, and the only example of furnishing found within the hall was a long red rug that lead to a large door at the end of the hall.

As they walked towards the single door, Kurama admired the needlework of the rug- it was a pictographic retelling of the Legend of the Divine War. At the beginning of the hallway, the demon armies were embroidered. The demons had ugly faces and crude weapons and stood disorderly, but were numerous. As one marched down the hallway, embroidered versions of the black, white, and silver dragons appeared as well, all of which were depicted as heavily injured, dead, or being struck down by a power which, further down, one could clearly see was a picture of King Enma in glorious golden armor.

Kurama had been so busy looking at the rug that he had forgotten to admire the door, which was similarly ornate. Along it's edges it featured golden statues of human warriors, which had been the original servants of Reikai before they had gone with the cheaper alternative of ogres. Each solder held a sword, all of which pointed accusingly down at whomever stood before the doorway. Within that lay an inscription in an tongue so old even Kurama couldn't read it, painted white on the royal blue of the door. And in the very center, coiled and snarling, was a golden emblem of the dragon, Go-Kintaisetsuryuu herself. The emblem was fierce, truly, and resembled ancient Chinese depictions of dragons, complete with five claws on each hand and fearsome horns.

Kurama turned to the old ogre beside him, "What do those writings say?"

"Oh even if you had asked me before I had lost my eyes, I couldn't tell you," the man replied, blinking up at him through clouded lenses. "But never mind about the writings, my boy. Through there you will find the dragon. I will wait here for your return."

"You won't be coming?"

"Oh no, I dare not face the beast myself," he said in a quiet tone. Suddenly he realized his mistake, however, and turned to smile up at Kurama, "I didn't mean to frighten you, my boy! I'm sure a young, strong lad such as yourself will be just fine."

Kurama couldn't help but notice that the man's face did not seem to confident. _Perhaps that is why they assigned me the task- the cow was merely to distract me, now they plan to feed me to a god. Perhaps I should not have been so quick to accept this task._ He put his fears aside, however, and moved to push the doors. They were heavy, but he managed. As they swung open, he was momentarily blinded by the bright light within the chamber and as his eyes adjusted, his face fell open-mouthed in wonder.

In his 1,000 years of life, Kurama had seen many things. He had seen the rarest of treasures, the most remote of places, and met with many famous and infamous figures. He had met with many gods in his past as well, including his current employers and his previous, and had seen many mythical beasts. But none could compare to the god that was before him.

She hovered above the ground, coiled into a tight ball, but as he entered she unwound herself to look at him. She was long and large- long enough to wrap around the walls of the palace five times and large enough to swallow King Enma himself whole. The chamber was hardly large enouhg to contain her and she towered over him menicingly. He soon realized that the bright light came from the dragon herself- her scales, mane, and horns were indeed golden and glowed with a bright light. An ethereal wind lifted and turned her mane and the strong muscles throughout her body twisted and turned as she moved to get a closer look at him. She seemed to growl, or perhaps that was the chamber rumbling in her presence, as a low, wavering hum echoed throughout, causing vibrations to run through Kurama's entire body.

For the first time in quite a while, he found himself nearly paralyzed with fear. However, the fear soon gave way as she stopped several meters in front of him, held by chains he had previously looked over. They appeared normal, silver chains, but they stood strong. They were attached at many points on all four walls of the chamber, as well as the floor and ceiling, and wrapped themselves around the length of her body. Most were gathered at her head, however, wrapped tightly around her jaws and horns. From the chains hung many slips of paper, on which were characters in the same ancient language as that on the door.

Remembering suddenly his purpose, he led the cow forward- it went willingly, being unable to see the magnificent beast that stood before it. He wondered briefly how the dragon would be able to eat it and was dismayed to learn that it was able to pry back the chains just enough to swallow the bovine whole. He took a few steps back, making sure he was out of the dragon's reach.

_Truly a foolish move, Enma, to use such beasts as emissaries. I can only imagine what four may have been like to face in battle_, he thought to himself. He watched the dragon swallow the cow without difficulty, and then felt fear creep up again when it turned its head back to face him. The eyes were golden as well, though they did not glow, and resembled human eyes more than animal, outlined with long, golden lashes. As he watched her, she watched him, and he was suddenly reminded that this was no simple beast, but a god, with a mind even more capable than his own. The idea of her sentience was even more disturbing than her size, and he quickly turned to leave. Gods were able to see more than others could, and this was one of the most ancient and powerful of them. He did not want her learning too much, though perhaps it was too little too late.

As he emerged, the doors slammed shut behind him with a deafening thud. The old ogre stood in the same place Kurama had left him and smiled, "It would seem you've survived. Congratulations! That is quite a rare feat."

Kurama didn't respond, but instead followed behind the old man up the steps without a word between them. He was even more bothered by the slow pace than he had been before and found himself looking repeatedly down the stairwell to assure they were not silently followed. The image of her was burned into his mind.

_They must have meant for me to be eaten,_ Kurama thought to himself. Then the old ogre's words returned to his memory, and he reconsidered, _though perhaps not... the old ogre claimed survival was rare, but not impossible. Perhaps... perhaps King Enma merely meant to show me. _As they approached the top of the 65th staircase, his legs finally stopped shaking, and his breathing returned to normal. He hadn't felt fear like that in years, not even when he faced Inari. Perhaps that was because Inari was significantly smaller and lacked any sort of 'ethereal' wind or glow, but he knew that it was something else that made the dragon so terrifying. _If they meant to show me this to intimidate me, to win me to their cause through terror... I'm afraid to say it may have worked._


	7. Chapter 7: Through the Back Door

**Sakyou**

Sakyou poured himself another glass of scotch. He idly wondered if it was too early- or even what time it was at all. He had only bothered to leave the room to sleep, or go to Black Book Club events, but lately he hadn't been feeling tired and events were few and far between. He had at this point utterly lost track of time, but he didn't really mind.

He had been reveling in his victory when the effeminate demon had come to visit- Sakyou had never met Itsuki personally, only heard of him through Toguro, and was not disappointed. Even he, a human, could feel the power of this man and he knew his partner, the fighter, must have even greater power. Itsuki had refused anything to drink and instead sat stoically on the chair next to Sakyou's, waiting patiently to begin a conversation he had claimed couldn't wait any longer. It had already been a week, since him and Sensui had joined Sakyou's cause, but apparently they were feeling restless.

Sakyou returned to his seat, drink in hand, and began their conversation. "Something is troubling you?"

"Not me, but Shinobu. He does not agree with the treatment of the young girl at Tarukane's compound."

"Neither do I," Sakyou replied, "But it's not my business what that man does."

"I feel you should make it your business, before Shinobu decides to make it his. He has been troubled lately, and as such hasn't taken action, but strongly feels that this situation must be dealt with."

"The endeavors of the Club are what fund my operation," Sakyou stated simply. "Should I turn against Tarukane, you understand what position that would put me in, correct?"

Itsuki nodded, "I do. That is why I've come to you first, rather than handle the problem myself."

Sakyou sighed, taking a sip of his scotch and continuing, "Perhaps it _would_ be better for you to deal with it. As far as the Club is concerned, we don't know one another. If you were to kill the old man, it's doubtful it could be traced back to me."

"Yes, that is possible." Itsuki then smiled- the first break of his stoicism since he had entered the viewing booth, "But I have another idea."

"Please, by all means, explain."

"There is a rumor of a new spirit detective. As you know, that used to be Shinobu's position, and he does not care for seeing it filled again."

"You're suggesting we blow the whistle on Tarukane to Reikai?"

"Anonymously, of course. As I understand it, the Toguro brothers are still guarding Tarukane's compound. I think they may serve to be a fair test of the new detective's strength." Sakyou decided that he liked this man. He was to the point, quiet, beautiful, and quite obviously clever. "We do request, however, that the detective be free to save the girl," Itsuki continued. "Whether that is before or after the fight doesn't matter, so long as she is safe."

It took him a moment to consider, but then Sakyou grinned. The plan grew, blossoming in his mind into a scheme that would not only provide the demon and his companion comfort, but one that may be able to gain _him_ something as well. He had been short on capitol recently and as such, his plan had slowed somewhat. However, should he play his cards right, this plan could provide just the funds he required to move his project into the second stage. He really _did_ like this man. "I will have Toguro begin collecting information to send immediately and inform you of it once it's sent. And I thank you, Mr. Itsuki. My man Toguro was right about the two of you. I think this may be the beginning of a truly beautiful partnership."

**Hotaru**

She sipped her beer silently, watching the flow of the river before her. It was a small river, a rainwater drainage that ran from the mountains down into her neighborhood of Sarayashiki. She had thought to go home, but after the day she had she felt that the best thing might be to just get some fresh air. Her stomach growled- she still had yet to eat today. She knew she should, her hunger was probably not helping her sour mood, but she was low on cash, and beer sounded much better, and with the cold can in her hand and the soft wind by the riverside, she momentarily forgot her troubles. The smell of fresh cut grass and the soft sound of the river was soothing.

She fell back, laying on the grass, and closed her eyes. She tried to relax, but without meaning to her mind wandered back to the events of the day. Her worries about Sakyou and his group had ben overshadowed by Yusuke's current predicament. She tried to reason through it but no matter how she thought of it, Yusuke was screwed. He was strong, but he wasn't trained and he never used his head. He'd need a serious string of good luck in order to win this tournament and walk away the victor. Hell, he'd need luck just to walk away alive, most likely.

"Girl," a dark voice suddenly spoke.

She opened her eyes and Hiei hovered above her. She hadn't even heard him approach. She sighed and closed her eyes again, "Welcome home."

"Where is she," he stated simply.

Her eyes opened again, this time panicked. In all the fuss of the day, her deal with Hiei had slipped her mind. If her plan had worked, then Yukina would have been free by now but since it hadn't she couldn't very well take him there. If he found out about her current imprisoned state, he'd either kill someone, resulting in his quick execution, or be killed himself. She also, unfortunately, couldn't tell him any of that. Hiei wasn't was one could call agreeable.

Noticing her silence, his blank look grew into a fierce glare, "You forgot."

"Of course I didn't forget!" she lied, "Hah, how could I forget something so important!"

"Then take me."

"Uh... yea... totally..." she scrambled to her feet and began looking around the river side for something. Once she found a suitable stick, she picked it up and used it to draw a circle in the ground. _Holy fuck this better work._

"What the hell are you doing?" Hiei asked, obviously confused and obviously angry about his own confusion.

"I'm going to draw a portal. We'll go through and see your sister, so don't freak out."

He stood by and she began to scribble an address on a piece of paper. Once it was done she went to place it in the circle, but turned back suddenly, "Back up."

"Why?" he said suspiciously.

"Because! That's just how it works, okay? So back up." Begrudgingly, he complied, taking a few steps back. "A little further..." He took two more and she waved him back even further. By the time she was done, Hiei was practically up on the sidewalk and looking even scarier than he had minutes before.

"Why the hell do I have to stand here?" he shouted down at her.

"Like I said, it's just how it works okay! Relax!" She placed the paper down in the circle and it immediately transformed into a portal in the ground. She looked back to see Hiei still standing where he had been a minute ago, took a deep breath, and jumped through as quickly as she could without a word. She dragged her hand across it's border as she fell through, landing in her apartment living room and closing the portal behind her.

Now she felt free to panic- Hiei had most likely already realized that it had been a trick and it would only be a matter of time before he tracked her down with his Jagan. She set to work drawing up a simple barrier on a few slips of paper- it wasn't a difficult one, a common sort of 'spell', but it should work. Higher power demons could see past barriers like this one, but Hiei was fairly weak in comparison to A or S class demons. His power levels had dropped immensely after his Jagan surgery, a fact that Hotaru was eternally grateful for.

She placed one charm on her front door, one on the back door, and one on each window- she also drew another to place on herself. Removing her shirt, she drew the same markings on her stomach in permanent pen- it wasn't a very _good_ solution, but for now it would have to do.

She was just redressing herself when she heard something- the toilet flushed. _Is Inari still here?_ she thought to herself, walking back into her living room, which connected to the bathroom. _Wait... do gods even need to use bathrooms? _Regardless of whether they did or not, she soon learned that the intruder was in fact _not_ Inari. He was a man, or appeared to be one, with long robes made of delicate, Makai manufactured fabrics and a shiny bald head- the demonic monk Hokushin was in her apartment and had apparently just taken a shit in her toilet.

Hotaru looked at him, a bit in disbelief, a bit disappointed, but mostly just pissed. "This is literally the worst day ever," she said, feeling like she could cry. "Did you even wash your hands?"

He laughed, "What? Why would I do that?"

"Ew, because of like... health," she responded with a cringe.

He laughed again, "Once again, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Gross."

"Are you drunk?"

"Maybe a little."

"I can smell the alcohol from here."

Hotaru sneered, "Yea well I can smell your breath too. What, did you meet some poor school kid along the way?"

"It's not often I'm allowed to visit Ningenkai. I merely took advantage of the opportunity."

"Fucking weirdo."

"I'm glad your back. I've been waiting for nearly two hours. How is your work going?" he asked casually.

She crossed her arms and glared at him, "Oh, great. So great. Thanks to you guys I accidentally created a team of super villains today, but, you know."

"Super villains? What are you talking about?" he replied with another aggravating laugh, "And how exactly is it our fault?"

"Because the only reason they all got together was because _I_ was forced to deal with Sakyou and his crazy bullshit."

"I'll ask again... why is it our fault?"

"Because I _wouldn't have_ had to deal with Sakyou if I hadn't had to bring _your_ stupid heir back to life."

Hokushin's smile fell and he looked at Hotaru quite seriously, "The heir is dead?"

"_Was_ dead. I brought him back, hence my fucking problems."

Hokushin was baffled, "How did he die?"

"Are you fucking joking?" Hotaru snapped, "I just did what you said. I borrowed Inari's car and fucking hit him with it and you know what I got? I got a dead kid. That's it. A dead fucking kid."

"You _killed_ him?" Hokushin asked incredulously. "Why did you do _that_?"

"Because you fucking told me to!" she yelled back.

"We didn't tell you to _kill_ him, we told you to _mortally wound _him!"

"Same fucking thing."

"It obviously isn't!"

Hotaru was fuming, "Well you should have fucking clarified."

"We didn't think we had to!"

"So you're saying this is all my fault somehow?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" Hotaru fell silent and Hokushin sighed, "I suppose if he's alive again, as you said, there's no real harm in it. Has his demon power awoken yet?"

"Uh... kinda?"

"What do you mean, 'kind of'?"

"I mean it '_kinda_' showed itself!" she spat back angrily. "He was fighting this demon and he had all this spirit power or whatever and like... I guess it was _kind of_ like demon power. It _looked_ like it, at least. But that was all and it was just the one time."

Hokushin rubbed his chin, contemplating the information, "Perhaps some exposure to demon air would help..."

"So I should take him to Makai?"

"Well, if he _is_ still human, taking him too deep could kill him, but somewhere close to the border might serve."

"Ugh, fine. I think I know a place that might work."

"Well be quick about it," Hokushin said with a smile.

"Sure thing," Hotaru replied, returning his smile with a sarcastic one of her own. "Now get the fuck out of my house."

Once he had left Hotaru found it even _harder_ to calm herself. Rivers and fresh air wouldn't do shit now. She moved to the kitchen to grab her sake from the fridge, only to open it to find the half-eaten corpse of a young child haphazardly shoved inside. "God damn it fuck this day."


	8. Chapter 8: The Four Saint Beasts

**Kurama **

"This is idiotic."

"I don't understand how you can be mad at him if you don't even remember the fight."

"I remember enough, fox. At least enough to know that this detective is useless. Had you not saved him, _I _wouldn't be in this mess."

"Yes, and it appears I'm still paying for that decision," Kurama replied rubbing the scar on his stomach where Hiei's sword had pierced him. Truly, it wasn't the smartest of moves, but receiving such a grievous injury had proven to win him far more sympathy with Koenma and his father. Not to mention that Kurama was not eager to show those two his true skill in battle- they already did not trust him due to his demon blood and should they know his true capabilities, it would be even harder to win them to his side.

"That was your stupidity," Hiei spat, "Don't blame me just because you're suicidal."

"_I'm _not the one who was willingly walking to the chopping block."

"Shut up."

"If you would rather not help, you can always go back to your jail cell. I'm sure Lord Enma would be more than happy to oblige your request."

"Hn... no thanks, that place smelled even _worse_ than your human cities."

Kurama smiled down at the smaller demon. "Then let's go, shall we?"

They stood above a portal that led down into Street Youma, where they would find Yusuke. They had been called upon to assist Yusuke in his newest mission: destroying a whistle that incited demon insects. Kurama was called along because that was his newest position- assistant to the spirit detective. Hiei, on the other hand, had merely been assigned to parol, at the request of Hotaru. He was not allowed to perform any criminal activity or harm any human beings, and was confined to the limits of the prefecture.

However after hearing about the mission, Kurama had requested that Hiei be instructed to go along as well. Although he could be difficult in social situations, he was quite easy to work with on a battle field. Koenma had been reluctant, but Kurama had assured him that Hiei could be trusted. Kurama feared that even with his punishment reduced, Hiei may still face the death penalty. While they could only redact their amendment to his punishment in the case of an official incident, he knew that Reikai was not above manipulating facts to prove their case. If Hiei proved too untrustworthy, he hardly stood a chance of regaining his freedom, or keeping his life.

The two of them leapt down into a field, located a few miles out from Street Youma. The field was littered with low level demons, a type common to this place. These sorts were _kiran_- a demon term for those who felt a need to devour human flesh. However, they were often too weak to catch any themselves, relying on feeding off of scraps dropped by higher classes.

About a mile off there was a large congregation of them. "That must be where Yusuke is."

"Letting himself be overrun with the likes of these?" Hiei scoffed.

"And to think he was able to beat you," Kurama responded with a smile. Hiei was quite sensitive about that fact, and bristled. Meanwhile, Kurama already had his whip formed and killed two demons standing nearby with the mere flick of his wrist. He picked up their cloaks and handed one to Hiei, "It will be easier to approach through the crowd if we're disguised."

"I don't _need_ disguises."

"Perhaps not, but the quicker we can get to Yusuke's aid, the better," Kurama advised. "Your compliance is only one part of this deal- Koenma will never grow to trust you if you allow his detective to die."

"Like I care about earning his trust," Hiei spat. "You foxes are all the same. You beg and plead for trust and favors and in the end you lie."

"When have I ever lied to you, Hiei?" Kurama asked, slightly hurt by his comment. True, there were demons within Makai that did not care for foxes or their methodology, but he had never imagined Hiei to be one of them.

Hiei did not respond to the comment and instead donned the cloak and approached the convergence ahead. Kurama followed. As they came upon it, they soon realized that there were two fighters- Yusuke was not alone. With him stood a tall boy that appeared to be of the same age, and judging by how he was dressed and his hair style, he was a street kid like Yusuke.

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle.

"Something funny?"

"I just never imagined I'd be working with two humans in a place like this," Kurama replied with a smile. This was his first time back in Makai since his reincarnation, and the experience was certainly a new one.

"Baby sitting is more like it."

"Perhaps," Kurama agreed. "But you must admit, escorting two human boys through Street Youma is far less painful that decapitation."

"I'm beginning to wonder about that," Hiei said with a scowl. "Besides, as I said, I'm not here to please your new master."

"Right, right, you're only here for treasure," Kurama replied mockingly. Hiei really was _so_ stubborn.

They moved themselves forward through the crowd, towards the two boys. "There's too many of them! If we keep fighting like this we'll die!" one of the boys shouted. Judging by his voice, it was the other one whom Kurama had yet to meet.

"If you continue to play around with them you'll never be able to enter the city at all!" Kurama called back, unleashing his rose whip as Hiei unsheathed his sword. They made quick work of the low-level demons surrounding the two boys, cutting nearly all of them down where they stood and causing the other ones to scatter. Yusuke and his friend looked shocked and Kurama smiled to himself. He really did love a good entrance.

"It must be tough having only two in a team," he began, casting away the cloak as Hiei did the same. "Let us help you."

"Who the hell are they?"

"Kurama and Hiei!?" Yusuke shouted, obviously surprised. Apparently he had not been informed that they would be coming along. Kurama had been right- Reikai did not trust either of them yet and had most likely assumed they would not show up. He had made the right decision in ensuring that they did. "How in the world did you..."

Kurama gave him a friendly smile, while Hiei merely stood behind him, almost appearing to pout. "We've been assigned to help you, as per our agreement with Koenma. Should we fulfill it, it's possible for us to be pardoned."

"Oh? So Koenma's pretty big on charity then, huh?" Yusuke replied with a smile. He didn't even seem to mind Hiei's presence, despite what had happened. He turned to his baffled friend, "Kuwabara, let me introduce you to Hiei and Kurama."

"Hi there," the boy responded.

"Please to meet you," Kurama responded as well, with a friendly smile.

The friendly greetings were cut short, however. "I don't know what's going on in Kurama's mind," Hiei began, staring blankly at the two human boys, "But what I'm interested in are the tools and treasures the Four Saint Beasts stole. I'm not interested in helping you at all."

Kurama let out a small chuckle as an awkward air washed over the four of them, _Always trying to save face. Really, Hiei, when will you learn that there is no shame in helping someone._ As a young demon, or at least younger than Kurama, Hiei's constant attempts to exert his apathetic attitude were somewhat endearing. True, Hiei was no kind hearted soul, but he lacked a certain coldness (and craziness) that many of the demons he emulated possessed.

Hiei was a strong fighter, but he was absolutely hopeless in social situations, especially ones with those he liked. If Hiei had only wanted to comply with his own punishment, it would have been far more difficult to bring him here and since he had gone willingly and (mostly) without a fight, Kurama had begun to assume that perhaps the young demon held a particular respect for Yusuke.

"What's wrong with this little fellow?" asked the boy known as Kuwabara. Kurama flinched. Hiei did _not_ like to be called 'little'. "Pretty cocky for a little guy like that!"

"Why are you talking? Do you want to die?" Hiei threatened, igniting fury in Kuwabara.

"What!? You idiot! You wanna fight, don't you?" he shouted in response. Kurama had been right again- this boy really _was _a street thug.

"Stop that Hiei," Kurama interrupted before things got too heated, "You can fight all you want after we finish this."

Hiei did not reply directly to Kurama, and instead turned his attention to the detective. "Yusuke, I'll bide my time and take my revenge. You'd better be careful."

"Let's reject their help," Kuwabara muttered, still inches away from attacking the small demon.

Kurama sighed inwardly, _Really Hiei, this is unnecessary_. Luckily, Yusuke didn't seem to mind the threat.

"Oh well! More the merrier!" he shouted gleefully, and began leading the four towards the entrance of the city. The remaining low-level beasts parted before them, apparently aware not only of who he and Hiei were, but also of their reputation. Apparently their Reikai heist, although failed, had earned them some notoriety.

They followed closely behind Kuwabara and Yusuke, but far enough to stay out of their conversation, which mostly concerned Kuwabara's lack of trust for Hiei and, by extension, Kurama himself.

Kurama regarded Hiei with a smile, "You did well. Or, at least, well enough. Though I'd hold off on the death threats, at least for now."

"Whatever," Hiei replied back, "This entire situation is idiotic. If I had known that this is what my punishment entailed I never would have agreed to it."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Kurama began. "How is it that Hotaru got you to agree? Last I checked, you were vehemently against any form of negotiation."

Hiei grew quiet, and seemed angry. Kurama did not want to make him enraged, but he felt this was important. Hotaru had proven herself to be quite a strange character- at first it had seemed that she offered to let Kurama to escape in order to protect Yusuke. However, after he had learned that she had been attempting to save Hiei as well, he began to question her methods. She should have no loyalty to Hiei- after all, when Kurama had first met Hotaru she had been quite cross with the small demon regarding a contract he apparently failed to fulfill.

Finally, Hiei spoke up, "She said she would take me to Yukina."

Kurama was somewhat shocked. He doubted if anyone besides himself knew of Hiei and Yukina's relationship- Hiei was not fond of revealing personal information. Even more shocking was the fact that Hotaru knew where Yukina was. Hiei had been searching for her for the past two years with the aid of his Jagan, or so he had told Kurama, and the thought that somehow Hotaru had found her before he did was strange.

"Perhaps she lied," Kurama offered.

"Hn probably," he replied, though Kurama sensed that he truly did believe Hotaru knew where Yukina was. Kurama, on the other hand, was conflicted. Hotaru might be the sort of person to lie to get what she wanted, but promising someone like Hiei something so important when one couldn't deliver was truly foolish. And if she knew of their relationship, she undoubtedly knew of it's importance.

"If she does know, how could she have found out?"

Hiei shot him an angry glare, "As if you don't know."

Kurama was dumbfounded, "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Hn."

"Hiei, I would never tell anyone your secret," Kurama replied with upmost seriousness. Truly he never would... well, at least not to Hotaru.

"Right. It's a coincidence that _she_ of all people knew."

"I don't know why you assume I have loyalties towards Hotaru. You've known her for much longer than I have."

"You may live a human life, but in the end your still a fox," Hiei snapped back. "Betraying me to your own kin is only natural."

"Hotaru's a fox?" This struck Kurama particularly hard. Hotaru certainly didn't _seem_ like a fox. Foxes were poised, cunning, and beautiful creatures- and typically quite powerful. Hotaru, on the other hand, was clumsy, weak, and stank of cigarettes and alcohol. If she really _was_ a fox, she hid it rather well. Either way, it didn't matter what she was. "I promise you Hiei, even if she is, she certainly learned nothing from me."

"Don't take it personally," Hiei replied firmly. "It's not like this is the first time I've been betrayed."

**Kurama**

**Two Years Ago**

To his side walked Hiei and on his back he carried his classmate that they had just saved, Maya Kitajima. Kurama was grateful to Hiei for his help. Though the help was largely unnecessary, Kurama liked the small demon, even if he _did_ have a rather unfriendly disposition.

Maya mumbled in her sleep, still drowsy from the mugen pollen Kurama had used to wipe her memories of the events that day. It would not do to have one of his classmates knowing his identity- although the girl was sweet, and did have power of her own, Kurama had no intention of letting himself be known. There were many demons who would jump at the chance to kill the famed Youko Kurama. Furthermore, the last thing he wished was to have his classmates, and by extension his mother, learn of his true identity.

Hiei turned to him, "By the way, you still haven't told me your name... I'll make an effort to remember it."

"It's..." Kurama paused, slightly reluctant. Hiei would be the first person he had shared his identity with that he didn't intend to kill afterwards. However, for whatever reason, he felt he could trust him. "It's Kurama."

Hiei turned away, a slight smile playing on his face, "That's a poor choice for a name."

"Yes well, we can't help what we're born with."

"Maybe... but a word of warning," Hiei began, "There are many within Makai that would be eager to kill whoever held that name. You should consider changing it."

"I am well aware of the danger it poses," Kurama responded. Hiei looked back at him, appearing somewhat shocked, and Kurama surmised that he caught the hidden meaning. However, he did not press the matter further, and instead smiled to himself silently.

Suddenly they heard a rustling in the bushes. Instinctively, Hiei drew his sword and Kurama stood behind him.

"It's probably just a cat," he said, unable to sense any significant energy from the presence.

"Then it'll be a dead cat."

"You can't just kill everything you see, Hiei," responded a voice from the bushes. It was definitely female, but spoke with a crudeness that was usually reserved for men. Hiei lowered his sword, placing it back into the sheath and scowling. He appeared to know this voice.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked scornfully.

The woman from the bushes emerged- she appeared a young girl, with messy, chin-length black hair, wide eyes, and a large white knit-cap. From the looks of her, she was human, but Kurama doubted that Hiei had many human acquaintances, so he kept his guard up.

"The real question is what are _you_ doing here?" she snapped. She obviously was not afraid Hiei, though Kurama did not know if that was due to superior strength or simple ignorance.

Hiei laughed, "Did you really think I would come crawling to you?"

"Uh, yea, basically," she replied. "You agreed to the deal. You signed the contract."

"It doesn't mean I have to comply."

"Actually it _does_. If you refuse, you die. The punishment is clearly outlined."

Hiei laughed again. Apparently neither party was willing to take the other seriously enough. "Well if you're here to kill me, then go ahead, because I have no intention of becoming your lap dog."

"I never said you'd be my 'lap dog'," the girl snapped back. "You agreed that you'd serve as my guardian for seven years and so far, one of those I've spent having to look for your ass."

"Pity," was Hiei's only reply before bounding off into the trees and leaving the girl, and Kurama, behind.

"Oh god damn it!" The girl shook her fist in his direction, stomping her foot like a child and shouting through gritted teeth. "Fuck you Hiei! Are you fucking kidding me!?" She kicked at the bushes lining the city street, sending leaves and sticks up into the air, "Fucking! Bullshit! Fuck! You! Son of a-" Suddenly, she noticed Kurama staring at her. Perhaps he should have just left her alone, but something about watching her lose it on a bush was addictive. She glared at him. "What?"

"You know plants have a similar response to wounds as animals do. They release hormones that alert the rest of the plant to an injury and activate a repair response. One could almost say they feel pain."

Her glare deepened and she kicked the bush again in defiance.

He sighed, "I don't know what your conflict is with Hiei, but if you would be so kind as to take care of it somewhere outside of Meiou, I would be grateful."

"Yea well it looks like now I'll have to, doesn't it?" She looked him up and down, appearing somewhat disgusted. "How do _you_ know him?"

"I suppose you could say we're friends," Kurama replied, though he wasn't quite sure 'friend' was the appropriate term for it.

The girl scoffed, "Yea right, like that asshole has any friends."

"I don't think he's quite that bad."

"Yea well I've known him a lot longer than you have, so shut up."

"You said you hired him to protect you?" Kurama asked.

She looked sullen. "Basically. But the little bitch skipped out."

"It would seem he has other things on his mind," Kurama replied, recalling the woman's name he had uttered in his sleep. Whoever Yukina was, he was obviously quite determined to find her.

The girl cocked at eyebrow at him, "Do I really look like I give a shit about that? We had a deal."

"Yes, well it's unwise to trust someone at their word."

"Trust me, I know." The girl reached into her pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. She offered Kurama one, but he politely refused. "What's with the girl?"

"Ah, a classmate," Kurama responded, "She ran into a bit of trouble and Hiei and I came to her aid."

"So you some kinda demon then?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," Kurama replied. Truly he didn't know _what_ to call himself anymore. He had a demon soul, yes, and demon power, but his body was human and he certainly felt far removed from his demon past. "What would make you think I am?"

She gave him a hard look, "Not many humans can make swords out of grass."

She had seen the fight. That was certainly troubling. Kurama hadn't felt her presence at all back then, though perhaps it was because he had been distracted. Either way, he felt he must be careful around her. Her weak energy and even weaker looking form did not necessarily mean she was powerless.

"What's your name?"

"Shuuichi."

"Dumb name."

_She really is quite rude,_ Kurama thought, frowning at her. "What's yours?"

"None of your business," she replied curtly, walking away. Kurama decided then that he did not like this girl, whoever she was. He was about to turn to continue on his way, when she stopped, turning back and eyeing him suspiciously. "Hey... you ever heard of a youko named Kurama?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Huh. Imagine that."

It hadn't been till months later, when he ran into Hiei yet again, that he learned the girl's name was Hotaru. It had been as she said, Hiei had agreed to be her guardian, but after learning about Yukina's disappearance, he had gone off to find her. Yukina was apparently his estranged sister, from whom he had been separated at birth. Kurama had asked him what he knew of the girl Hotaru, but all Hiei knew was that she had some friends in high places, including some in Reikai, but was otherwise useless and, according to him, rather stupid.

Nevertheless, Kurama did not forget the name or the face. He had run into her several times after learning her identity and she seemed to show up far more often than coincidence could allow.. She called him 'Kurama', or even 'Youko Kurama', to which he refused to respond. As such, they hadn't had a proper conversation since that first night, and any attempts she made at one were quickly silenced by Kurama.

Someone like her could know one of his enemies from his past life and he was in no hurry to face those opponents again. He vowed to himself that he would never, _ever_ let this girl confirm his identity.

**A/N: **In case anyone was curious, "kiran", the term used to reference demons that consume human flesh, is spelled 饑濫. 饑, readings "u" or "ki", meaning "hunger or thirst" and 濫, readings "mida" or "ran", meaning "excessive or overflowing".

This term will be used frequently in later chapters, but if you don't remember what it means, it's alright as I'll try to remember to provide translations of (made up) Japanese terms at the bottom.


	9. Chapter 9: The Four Saint Beets

**A/N**: you may notice that some manga dialogue has been _slightly_ changed. This is really only done because since the manga I'm reading off of is fan translated, some of the dialogue is clunky. In future chapters, dialogue may change a bit as well, in order to accommodate another person (Hotaru) or persons.

**Kuwabara**

He was hurting all over, but he didn't want to let the others know, so he kept a brave face. His battle against Byakko had been harder than expected, and his near plummet into a pool of lava had gotten him a bit weak in the knees.

No one gave him much trouble about his injuries, not even the little twerp Hiei, who was walking behind the other three of them. Kuwabara trusted that guy as far as he could throw him- though to be fair, considering the demon's size he could probably throw him pretty far. The other one, Kurama, seemed weird too. Kind of girly. And apparently he was a demon too, or at least that's what Yusuke said. He didn't look like a demon- neither of them did. But Kuwabara wasn't going to argue.

They had left Byakko's lair and emerged into yet another hallway. It was longer than the first few they had come across, and darker, lit only by candle light. As they walked, Yusuke checked his compact communication mirror, but Botan hadn't tried to reach him and wasn't picking up. He was worried, and the mood was heavy, so Kuwabara thought to do his part to lighten it.

"Hey only two more, right? We're halfway there!" he said, trying his best to sound hopeful.

Hiei scoffed at him, "We've killed two of theirs, but lost two of our own. Unless you plan on fighting again, that is."

"Hey man, I did my part!"

"You should have let me take Byakko then. _I_ wouldn't have been injured so easily," Hiei spat back.

Kuwabara was getting angry now. Here he was trying to cheer up Yusuke and all Hiei was doing was throwing insults around. "Shut up, you! You haven't even done anything yet!"

"Hn... well the next one is mine, so maybe you'll get the chance to see what a real fight is like," Hiei responded with an evil looking grin. "That is, if you don't bleed to death first."

"Hey, Kurama's injured too!" Kuwabara replied. He looked to Kurama for confirmation, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. He was staring down the hallway, with a worried look on his face. "Uh, hey... what's wrong?"

"There's something down there," Kurama replied with a grave tone. Kuwabara looked down the hallway- it was dark, too dark to see clearly. He didn't know how Kurama knew something was there until suddenly he heard it- footsteps.

Kuwabara bristled and looked to Yusuke for guidance, but Yusuke looked scared too. The only one not troubled was Hiei, who drew his sword. "It looks like one of these beasts is eager to die."

"That is not a beast," Kurama replied, still wary. "Can't you sense it?"

Hiei stopped and his eyes momentarily went wide, before narrowing hatefully. He sheathed his sword and turned his back to the dark hallway, "Fucking hell..."

"Uh wait, what? What is it?" Kuwabara asked. As the footsteps neared, his heart started to race, "Is it a monster? Is it a ghost!?"

"Hn... worse."

"What could be worse than that!?" Kuwabara exclaimed. They were closer now. He could almost see someone in the darkness- they looked human, but Kuwabara got the distinct feeling that they were not.

"Hey, who are you!?" Yusuke shouted angrily at the approaching figure. There was no answer, so he shouted again, "WHO THE FUCK IS THERE!?" Yusuke was prepared to charge them, whoever or whatever it was, when the voice finally spoke and the figure came into the light. It was girl.

"Relax, buddy," she said casually. She was smoking a cigarette and, despite being a girl and despite being alone, she didn't seem afraid.

"Who are you?" Yusuke demanded again.

It was Kurama who answered him. "Her name is Hotaru. She works for Reikai."

"Thanks for the intro," she said. She looked Kurama up and down and suddenly started giggling. "You can't be serious."

Kurama stared at her blankly, "If it's about the uniform-"

"- pfft, it's about the fucking _gash in your stomach_, dumbass. How the fuck did that happen?"

"Genbu launched a surprise attack."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She laughed again. "Genbu? Genbu _the rock guy_?"

"Yes."

"You lost to a _pile of rocks?_"

"I did not lose," Kurama replied with a dangerous glare.

"Fine, you _barely_ won against _the rock guy_." Hotaru burst into a fit of laughter. Kurama turned away, walking back behind the group, most likely to avoid further mockery.

Yusuke, confused, approached her warily, "Koenma sent you?"

She stifled her laughter and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Heh, yea. Like Kurama said, I'm Hotaru. I work for them."

"You some demon too?" Yusuke asked back, somewhat suspicious.

"Well, close enough."

"You were supposed to stay out of detective affairs, if I remember correctly," Kurama chimed in.

"Yea, well, I've been promoted. I'm now an official assistant!"

Hiei glared at her, "I thought the detective already _had_ a useless assistant."

"Apparently he has a secretary too," she spat back, returning his hateful look.

Hiei went silent and Kuwabara spoke up. She seemed safe enough, at least _human_ enough, and if Reikai actually sent her then they could trust her. After all, they would need help, though from the looks of her he wasn't sure what she could do. "Are you another fighter?" he asked, "Cause no offense, but you look almost as girly as Kurama. Ah... oops. Sorry Kurama."

Kurama merely sighed while Hotaru laughed, loudly, "Don't worry about him. He's always looked like a girl." She took another drag of her cigarette and dropped it on the ground, snuffing it out with her foot, "Anyway, no, I'm not a fighter. I'm here to help guide you. Seeing as how Maze Castle is, well, a maze, and I'm one of the few at Reikai who knows it's layout, they figured I could help."

"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Kurama.

She gave him an incredulous look. "Who else would I be helping? The Fantastic Four?"

"Even if your intentions are good," Kurama continued, "I find it hard to believe you'd agree to a mission like this."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"You would be a liability. Protecting you may be difficult."

"_I_ have no intentions of protecting her," Hiei snapped.

"Is that anyway to talk to the person who saved your life?" she asked angrily.

"You hardly saved my life."

"Fine. I _convinced _you to save your own life."

Kurama laughed, "'Manipulated' is probably a more apt description."

"Right. Says _the fox thief._"

"Jeez, can you guys stop fighting!?" Kuwabara shouted suddenly. "In case you forgot, we still have two more beasts to go!"

"Yea, come on guys, she seems fine by me," said Yusuke in agreement. He walked up to Hotaru and extended a hand, "So long as she's not trying to kill us, I say we're all good!"

"Be wary of her intentions, Yusuke," Kurama warned.

She pointed an accusatory finger in his face, her brows furrowing in anger. "Shut up, you fucking hypocrite. One minute you're a thief, and now you're the savior of humanity? Give me a fucking break."

Kurama's voice did not betray his feelings as he replied calmly, "Perhaps, but I do believe _you're_ the one who tried to help me escape, correct?"

"Well, the thing is-"

"-_And_ Hiei as well, yes?"

"Wait, so you really _are_ on the demons' side!?" Kuwabara exclaimed.

Yusuke was scratching his head, appearing confused. "Well wait... if she's on Hiei and Kurama's side... but Hiei and Kurama are on our side... then she's okay, right?"

"Uh, I guess," Kuwabara began, becoming confused himself. "But it still seems weird."

"Well me being on their side was all because I was on _your_ side," corrected Hotaru.

"Now I'm really confused," Kuwabara admitted hopelessly.

"If I hadn't saved Hiei, then he'd wouldn't be here to help you."

"Like I said I'm not here to help, I'm here to-"

"Now is not the time, Hiei," Kurama chided.

Hiei glared at Kurama in return, then focused his gaze back on Hotaru. "If you really are some 'guide', then why bother showing up when we're already half way through the castle?"

"Hey, yea!" Kuwabara agreed.

Hotaru shuffled her feet, "Well, the... um... there was a lot of traffic, and..."

"You overslept?" asked Kurama, exasperated.

"I did not!"

"Then you were late on purpose," Hiei spat back.

Hotaru fell silent and Yusuke stepped in to defend her, "Well hey, she's here now, so let's get going."

The two demons seemed dismayed, but did not argue. "I suppose you're right- we should hurry," Kurama replied looking down the hallway.

Hiei grinned, turning down the hallway as well. "Think you can keep up?" he asked, directing the question to Hotaru.

She smiled in response. "Totally. Not a problem."

* * *

"Why... the fuck... do you... run everywhere!?" Hotaru panted out, doubled over and sweating profusely. They had only managed to get to the end of the hallway, and were now facing a flight of stairs when she begged them to stop.

"So, no problems I see," remarked Kurama with an innocent smile.

"Shut up," she barked between heavy breaths.

Hiei was smiling too. _Jeez and I thought he looked creepy when he was angry. This is like ten times worse,_ Kuwabara thought with a cringe.

"Come on, it's just stairs!" Yusuke said in an attempt to motivate the young girl.

She nodded weakly and looked up at the stairs with determination. She straightened up and took a few steps forward when her face suddenly went white and she vomited all over the first step.

Kurama was laughing now and Hiei's smile had grown into a sadistic grin. "Let's leave her. Perhaps she'll be less useless as bait," the small demon said maliciously.

"Oh now Hiei, we can't do that," Kurama chided.

"Why not?" Hiei replied, moving for his sword. "If we cut off her legs then the remaining two will smell her blood and come running."

"She's a rather good friend of Reikai," Kurama replied.

"Like I said, I'm not here to gain their trust."

"Shut-" Hotaru began to reply, only to vomit once again.

"Even so, the beasts will come regardless of whether or not her legs are still attached."

"Fine, but I still want to do it."

"Hiei..."

Yusuke was ruffling his hair in frustration and finally threw his arms up in the air. "AAAGH! Fuck this!"

He picked Hotaru up in one swift motion, throwing her across his shoulder and storming up the stairs angrily. Kuwabara followed him while the two demons behind him began laughing again. Hotaru's face was still pale and she suddenly clasped her hands around her mouth, looking like she would vomit again.

"Wait Urameshi! Let me go first!"

**Sakyou**

"_I don't like throwing fights, Sakyou_," Toguro said through the phone.

Sakyou smiled to himself, "I do realize that, but it's for the good of the project. It seems our new partners are not happy about the demon girl's incarceration."

"_I told you the same a long time ago._"

"Yes, well saying 'no' wasn't an option then." Truthfully Sakyou had not wanted to send Toguro to work for Tarukane- he found the man's newest endeavor even more repulsive than his face. However Tarukane had offered a rather large sum of money to Toguro directly, and being low on money for his project, Sakyou had convinced him to take it and donate it to the cause. Had the money not being going to a project which promised freedom to demons, he doubted Toguro would have ever agreed to it at all.

"_If you want the girl released, I'd gladly kill this man myself._"

"That time may come," Sakyou replied with a wicked grin. "But for now, I merely need you to do as instructed."

"_Are you sure Koenma will send this detective?_"

"Mr. Itsuki seemed quite certain that he would."

Toguro was quiet on the other side of the line. He had no problems collecting video evidence to send to Reikai, but, as he had said, did not approve when Sakyou told him the rest of the plan. Of course, he hadn't imagined Toguro would agree. He had known this man for quite a long time now and he had never walked away from a fight, much less lost one on purpose.

Nevertheless, he had to. Should Toguro fight and lose, the girl would be saved, as requested by Itsuki, but the Black Book Club would be none the wiser. Well, except for when the time for the tournament this year arrived, but Sakyou figured he'd be able to explain away the situation quite easily. The Club's members were not fans of sabotage, but a little friendly cheating was different and occurred quite often amongst members of the inner circle. Perhaps they'd even _praise_ him for his actions.

Furthermore, Toguro had to fight the detective- the other members of his little 'apparition gang' were far too weak to pose a significant threat and thusly couldn't be helpful in determining this detective's true strength. Not to mention that should the detective fight his way to the end of Tarukane's defenses, Sakyou planned to make a considerable amount of money.

Men in the Club were always looking for an opportunity to place bets, and especially loved doing so when it came to blood sport. Tarukane would not pass up the option to hold a wager on the strength of the intruders and Sakyou figured that most of the other Club members would be reluctant to bet against Toguro.

"_If you're sure it's necessary, I suppose we can make an exception,_" Toguro finally responded.

Sakyou was relieved- Toguro was his subordinate, but he couldn't exactly claim he had control over what the man did. "I'm glad to hear it. And trust me, it _is_ necessary- the project can now be moved into it's second stage."

"_Should I send the tape now?_"

"As soon as you can."

Sakyou was about to hang up when Toguro spoke again, "_By the way, Sakyou, Hotaru apparently paid a visit to the girl this morning._"

"Really?" This was truly intriguing. As long as Sakyou had known Hotaru, she had never been interested in the business of saving anyone. He figured this demon girl must hold some importance to her.

"_Some guards reported that a man had attempted to save her, but they shot him. When they took the body to burn it, the man transformed into a rabbit, or so they claim." _

"Well unless this girl has some other shapeshifting friends, that does sound like Hotaru." Rescuing someone was strange enough, but the idea of Hotaru trying to rescue someone with her own two hands was even stranger. She was no fighter- that much was obvious just by looking at her. "I'm assuming she was not successful?"

"_No. But Tarukane has ordered me to increase security."_

Sakyou grinned, "All the better. Keep me informed." He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, looking through the glass panel at his beautiful creation. _Hotaru may have some investment in this girl,_ Sakyou thought. _Perhaps this plan will work out better than I had hoped._

**Kuwabara**

They had passed several flights of stairs by now and run through a few hallways. So far, Hotaru's help as a "guide" had been unnecessary- the path was straightforward and any traps had been quickly noticed by Kurama or himself. Even if she wanted to help, she probably couldn't. She was still slung about on Yusuke's shoulder and bounced up and down as they ran, which had apparently done nothing for her nausea.

Finally they came to the end of another hallway, but instead of stairs, they were faced with six identical doors. They stopped and Yusuke let Hotaru off of his shoulder. She shuttered and stumbled back to her feet.

They all looked at her, waiting for her advice on which door was the proper one, but she didn't notice and instead removed a small flask from her pocket. She took a quick drink and finally color came back to her face.

"Well that was pretty fucking terrible," she remarked before taking another swig. None of them responded, though, and she shot them a hard look. "What? You guys some sort of teetotals or something?"

Kurama sighed, "Which door do we take?"

"What?"

Yusuke grabbed Hotaru by the shoulders, forcefully turning her around so she faced the doors. "You're supposed to be our guide right?"

"Oh, right!" she replied with an embarrassed laugh.

"Idiot," Hiei replied, bristling.

She carefully looked at each door in turn, a serious look on her face. She even inspected a few of them up close, counting bolts or trying to measure their width. Kuwabara was feeling impatient, a sentiment which the rest of the group obviously shared.

"So which is it!?" Yusuke shouted.

"Um..." Hotaru turned back to the group with a nervous smile, "Might be this one?"

"_'Might'_?" Hiei repeated angrily.

Hotaru threw up her hands in frustration, "I don't know! I never come this way!"

Kurama merely shook his head, "And yet you're here to be our guide."

"This is the _long_ way," she replied.

"Well what's the short way!?" Yusuke yelled back, equally frustrated.

"Back at the Gate of Betrayal! If you take a left you end up this way, but if you take a _right_ then there's an elevator!"

"WHAT!?" Yusuke bellowed. "Why didn't you tell us that!?"

"It was already too late!" Hotaru shouted back. "I figured it'd be quicker to just take the long route than to double back!"

"Perhaps if you had shown up on time," Kurama chimed in, with yet another look of feigned innocence.

"I told you she was useless."

"And you think I would trust _her_ with your secrets?"

"Well she's not smart enough to figure it out on her own, is she?"

Kuwabara was curious about what the two demons were talking about, but before he could ask Hotaru lauched into a tirade.

"Oh shut up, the both of you!" Hotaru yelled back. "You two think you're so fucking great, huh? So fucking smart, right? Well, I'll have you know that it's not _my _fault I was late! If it's anyone's, it's Hie-" She shut up quickly, suddenly afraid to finish her sentence.

"And how is that?" Kurama asked, his eyes narrowed in her direction.

She smiled nervously, "Oh no never mind."

"Please, tell me how this is _my_ fault," Hiei asked, his look equally as dangerous as Kurama's.

"We don't have time for this!" Yusuke shouted, stepping in between them. "Kuwabara, can you use your spirit sense to figure out the right way?"

"Uh, maybe..."

"Well try!" Yusuke yelled. He turned back to the two demons and Hotaru. "Look, I get it. You guys hate each other. But will you just _shut up_! My fucking city is in trouble and we don't have time for group therapy!"

"My apologies, Yusuke," Kurama replied. Hiei, on the other hand, stayed silent.

Kuwabara focused on the doors, trying to see past them, to _sense_ past them. Each one was similar, not only on the outside, but on the inside as well- six tunnels leading in opposite directions. However, one he noticed was different- empty, somehow. The others held a feeling he had felt before- whenever he encountered ghosts in Ningenkai. He suspected that there were lost souls in those other tunnels, and lost souls meant dead people, which in turn meant traps.

"Kuwabara, which door do you think we should take?" Yusuke asked.

"Hm..." Kuwabara wasn't sure about his choice, but he figured it would be better than nothing. "The second door from the right."

"Alright! Let's go!" Yusuke replied, a look of fresh determination on his face.

Hiei stayed stoic, but appeared to be trying to keep himself in check after Yusuke's outburst. "Is it really okay?"

"Heh! Don't you look down on me!" Kuwabara replied with a grin and a thumbs up. "Maze walking and trap avoiding are two of my specialities!"

They ran in silence now down the next hallway. Yusuke didn't carry Hotaru this time, so she was left trailing slowly behind them, panting. Luckily for her, this hallway was shorter than the others, and soon enough they came face to face with a large metal door. In front of the door stood two fierce statues of dragons, carved of gold.

"What a door," Kuwabara said in amazement. Before this door, everything had looked like something out of a bad video game, but _this_ looked like something you would find in a real castle.

Hotaru stumbled out of the darkness, collapsing on the floor next to them, but no one took notice.

"This should be the room of Seiryuu," Kurama replied. He had mentioned before that he had some knowledge of these beasts. Combined with his knowledge and Kuwabara's senses, Hotaru really was proving to be entirely useless. "The reiki emitted is stronger than those before."

"I'm even having goosebumps," Kuwabara replied, though he didn't know if that was due to the temperature or the energy being emitted from behind the door.

The door suddenly opened by itself and the four walked in, leaving Hotaru behind on the stairs. She looked like she was going to throw up again, and none of them felt like waiting. "Don't worry, I'll just wait here," Hotaru mumbled out weakly, reaching for her flask again.

As they entered, the temperature plummeted. Before them stood a dark skinned man with a dangerous look in his eyes. He had a beard, and a very villain-esque one at that, and was dressed in expensive looking robes. Wrapped around his chest was an embroidered blue dragon, and all around him mist rose in heavy clouds.

"Your evil deeds have made Lord Suzaku extremely angry," he said in a low voice. "But you shall not be able to continue in your arrogance! You won't die in one piece! "

"What?" Kuwabara asked, clenching his fists. He didn't like this guy- he looked rich and talked like someone out of an old movie. "This guy's so full of himself!"

Suddenly the man, Seiryuu as Kurama had called him, narrowed his eyes further, "We have an uninvited guest."

They heard the sound of something dragging itself. It was loud- whatever it was, and big and very heavy. It sounded like it was coming closer, and soon the sound of heavy limbs dragged across stone became intermixed with shallow panting.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Hotaru exclaimed, suddenly scrambling into view through the door and collapsing to her knees in a corner of the cold room.

"What's that screeching sound?" Kuwabara asked, shivers running up and down his spine. He wished he still had his shirt- at least then it would only be fear making his skin crawl.

"It came from the hallway," Hiei stated, as they all turned back to look.

Through the doorway, the huge figure of Byakko emerged, charred and smoking. "Help me... Seiryuu..." he said weakly through cracked lips, appearing half dead. "I beg you... spare me some youki... I'll repay your kindness after I recover..."

"He's still alive?" Kuwabara said, not sure whether he should be angry or afraid.

"Unbelievable," Yusuke muttered, sharing his sentiment.

Seiryuu, on the other hand, was not conflicted. He glared at the burning demon, and his voice was full of hatred. "Fool! You're a disgrace for still being alive."

"Seiryuu..." Byakko pleaded, looking terrified.

Seiryuu raised his hands and mist swirled around them. "You're of no use now! Virtually an eyesore!"

"You're stance... don't tell me... I beg you, not that!"

"Matoutouryouken!" Seiryuu shouted, curling his hand into a fist and punching straight out. Though the fist made no contact with Byakko directly, the demon quickly crystalized into a hard block of ice.

"What!?" Yusuke exclaimed. However, it wasn't over. Seiryuu then moved forward, quicker than Kuwabara had ever seen someone move, and landed a kick to the ice-covered Byakko, shattering his body into pieces. As the pieces fell to the floor, Kuwabara shuttered. Behind him, Yusuke was livid. "He just killed his own companion like it was nothing..."

Byakko's head had separated from his body and bounced across the ground, landing a few feet from their group. Seiryuu regained his previous stance, appearing unaffected. "Firing hundreds of zero degree Celsius punches in a split second. Only Lord Suzaku is able to handle this move."

Much to the surprise of everyone, Byakko's decapitated head spoke. "Seiryuu... why..." it said between frozen lips and gritted teeth.

"We do not need weaklings!" Seiryuu retorted. "Losers who cannot be used anymore are nothing but trash to us." Yusuke was already angry, but soon became furious as Seiryuu spat upon the face of his fallen, deceased companion.

"They have absolutely no sense of comradeship," Kurama explained, appearing equally disturbed. "The yearn to kill and eat is their everything."

Kuwabara was angry as well, and felt his strength returning. "Although I just fought with Byakko, my heart's in a whirl right now. I'll defeat this jerk for him!"

"Damn it! I hate this!" Yusuke said, losing his temper and preparing to strike. "I'm gonna kill this guy!"

"Wait, Yusuke."

The three turned to see Hiei, who had remained silent up until this point. He looked even scarier than he had before and his expression was rather serious. He stepped forward, slowly yet menacingly.

"You'd better curb your anger and save it for defeating Suzaku," he said, moving to meet Seiryuu in the middle of the room. Seiryuu seemed amused by this, but Hiei did not falter. Hiei removed his cloak, casting it across the room so it covered Byakko's lost head.

_Maybe this guy isn't so evil,_ Kuwabara thought reluctantly.

"Heh, and what do you think you're doing?" Seiryuu remarked with an evil grin. "Are you feeling benevolent? You're the same as us, aren't you? Walking the path of evil?"

Hiei stood silent and poised for battle.

"This is the first time I've seen Hiei like this," Kurama commented. "He used to do the same things that Seiryuu is doing now, yet his irritation with Seiryuu's deeds is quite obvious. Hiei is feeling confused about it and himself as well... however, it's also quite obvious that he's now full of an unprecedented amount of furious battle energy."

Hotaru had slowly been creeping around the walls of the room until finally she stood at their side. "Are you seriously going to let him do this?" she asked in a whisper.

"If he feels this strongly about fighting, I certainly don't mean to get in the way of it," Kurama replied, his eyes fixed on Hiei who stood only a few meters from Seiryuu.

"Yea, but still," Hotaru continued. "Shouldn't _all _of you attack him at once? Going one-on-one seems a bit... well, stupid."

"Fighting four on one isn't honorable," Kuwabara explained.

Hotaru seemed unimpressed. "Who the fuck cares about that?"

However, Kuwabara had no time to explain. Seiryuu raised his arms, taking a similar stance to before, prepared to attack. "I'll smash you into pieces!" he exclaimed. "Give me your life!"

Before Kuwabara even knew what was happening, the two had switched places and Hiei stood on the other side of the room. Seiryuu was frozen in place, and then slowly his body fell to pieces, cut into multiples by Hiei's sword.

As he fell bloodied to the ground, Hiei turned back to him, speaking disdainfully. "I never want to see you again."

"Wh-when did he start chopping?" Kuwabara asked in total disbelief. "I couldn't see anything at all!"

"I only saw the first stroke as well," Kurama replied.

"My impression of him is totally changed..."

"That was crazy fast!" Yusuke exclaimed with a wide grin. "God damn, that was great Hiei! You won in no time at all!"

"How many times did you cut him?" Kurama asked, smiling as well.

"16."

"16? I lost track at eight!" Yusuke replied.

"I only saw the gleam of the blade," Kurama added.

Kuwabara grimaced, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I only realized once he was all cut up..."

"You're fucking great at this!" Yusuke continued, running to Hiei happily. "If we go for another round, maybe you really _will_ beat me!"

"Who knows..." Hiei replied, walking off to the door leading out of the room.

"Um... Hiei?"

"Ever since he came here, he's been changing," Kurama explained. "I think you may be gradually earning his respect."

Kuwabara highly doubted that someone like Hiei could respect anyone, but he didn't contest it. Hotaru seemed equally unconvinced.

"Alright, let's get going!" Yusuke shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Only one more to go!"

The four took off running, and once again Hotaru was left trailing behind them, able to do nothing more than whimper.

As they ran through the next hall, and up another flight of stairs, Yusuke's compact communication mirror began beeping. He answered it mid run.

"_Yusuke, this is Botan!" _chimed the voice. They stopped and Kuwabara peeked over Yusuke's shoulder to get a better look. "I'm at your school with Keiko," Botan continued, "We've been surrounded by people possessed by the demonic worms!"

Even Kuwabara could tell that Keiko looked confused. He remembered then that she still wasn't aware of all this spirit detective stuff- she wasn't even aware of demons. _It must suck being stuck in the middle of this, with no idea what's going on..._

"They're obviously trying to find Keiko," Botan said with a worried look. "They want to hurt her."

"What?!" Yusuke exclaimed, his eyebrows furrowing in a mix of frustration and worry.

Suddenly they heard the sound of someone else- it sounded like Mr. Iwamoto. "How dare you wear casual clothes to school!"

"You've got to hurry up and retrieve the whistle before-" Botan was cut off and picture moved to static.

"AH! HEY BOTAN!? WHAT HAPPENED!?" Yusuke yelled, but it was no good. They had lost the connection. He suddenly took off running. "Damn it! We gotta hurry! If we don't go now we won't make it in time!"

He was at a high speed run and even for Kuwabara, it was hard to keep up with him. Hiei and Kurama managed fine and kept the pace, but Kuwabara lagged slightly behind. However it was nothing compared to Hotaru, who was looking worse and worse by the minute, and still back at the beginning of the hallway.

Finally, the four emerged onto a plateau- a large roof top of the castle, from which stretched a secondary tower. The final beast would be up there. There was a door into the secondary tower, positioned in between two other doors leading up from the castle below. The four moved for the central door, until something caught their attention. A figure was emerging from one of the side doors- it moved slowly, dragging it's feet. It looked almost human, but was a sickly green color, and held like stance like a zombie from one of those movies. Before they knew what was happening, over a dozen of the strange creatures had emerged.

"Who the fuck are these guys?" Yusuke asked with wide eyes.

"It will take too long and be extremely troublesome to try to break through them," Kurama began. "They have no sense of pain or fear- similar to living puppets."

_This guy Suzaku sure is cruel,_ Kuwabara though, gritting his teeth. _Yukimura won't last long enough for us to fight these guys!_

Yusuke, however, was moving into position to fight. "Fucking troublesome... I'll use my shotgun to decimate them!"

Kurama placed a hand on Yusuke's shoulder, slowing his assault. "Relax. There's no point in wasting reiki. If you do, you'll be walking directly into Suzaku's trap."

"Do you have any better ideas!?"

"Yes," Hiei replied flatly from behind them. "Look there. See that window? We'll use that."

"What?" Yusuke replied, obviously irritated. "Bullshit! We're not grasshoppers! How're we going to reach _that?" _

_"_I have a plan. We stand on one-another's shoulders, and you use us as a ladder to reach the window."

"So he'd be going in there alone!? No way!" Kuwabara protested. "I'm not letting Urameshi fight this guy all by himself!"

"It's the only way," Kurama replied. "We are on limited time now."

"Hey! What the fuck!?" came a breathless reply from behind them. Hotaru had apparently caught up. "What the fuck are you saying?"

"Are you deaf? I just explained."

"Yea... no, I got that... but..." She tried to compose herself and stood upright, although she still looked queasy and her face was flushed. "This is fucking stupid! You can't send him in there alone!"

"We have no choice," Kurama explained, but Hotaru would hear nothing of it.

"We _do_ have a choice. These little human plants are weak as shit! Just cut through them!"

"It'll take too much time."

"I don't care," Hotaru stated firmly. "I can't stand behind some plan that leaves Yusuke defenseless and fighting on his own!"

"Well your opinion doesn't matter," Hiei replied with a hard glare. "So shut up."

"But wait-"

Before Hotaru coud complain further, Kurama jumped onto Kuwabara's back, followed by Hiei who stood upon Kurama's shoulders. Kuwabara buckled under the pressure. "Wait... why me? Damn it Hiei, I'll kill you for this!"

"Can you handle it?" Kurama asked, concerned.

Kuwabara gritted his teeth and did his best to stand upright. "I can handle it, okay?!" He took a deep breath, and then charged head first into the large group of weird looking creatures. "I'm going in for the kill!" He was running at full speed, and Yusuke trailed behind him. "Urameshi!" he called. "I'm not responsible for the consequences if you mess this up!"

"I can do it!" Yusuke replied from behind. Suddenly Kuwabara felt a foot land on his back, and he stumbled forward. Yusuke stepped on each of them in turn, launching himself upwards. "Here I go!"

They fell out of their formation, though each of them landed back on their feet. Kuwabara looked up and thankfully, Yusuke had reached the window, though he was barely holding on. "He did it!" Kuwabara exclaimed, happy that it hadn't ended with his friend falling face first into stone.

Yusuke pulled himself up and into the window. "Kuwabara! Kurama! Hiei! Thanks!" he yelled back down. "I'll give you all a present if I come back in one piece!"

"Just don't die!" Kuwabara replied with a thumbs up, which Yusuke returned. Suddenly he came back to himself, however, and realized they were surrounded by all those strange creatures. Kurama and Hiei were already at work trying to defeat them, so he began to do his part as well.

"You fucking assholes!" Hotaru shouted from beyond the fray. "How could you- AH!"

While Hotaru had been busy not paying attention, some of the strange creatures had come up on her from behind. One grabbed her around the neck while two others took to grabbing her arms. She kicked at them, but only succeeded in getting two off, while the third still held her neck in a firm grasp. She was starting to go red in the face, when Kuwabara leapt in to help her.

He managed a punch to the creature's face, which caused its head to disconnect from its body. These guys were really weak, and fell apart like wet paper towels. It was their numbers that were daunting, and even now more emerged from the side doorways.

Hotaru fell to the ground, coughing and trying to find her voice again. Meanwhile, Kuwabara stood in front of her, punching out any of the creatures that came close.

She looked up at him, wide eyed, "Are you seriously trying to save me?"

"A real man defends a lady when she's in trouble," he replied without thinking, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Kuwabara had always lived by a strict code, ever since he was a kid. Even as a child he had defended the weakest on the playground against the bullies that meant them harm. As far as he knew, Hotaru was useless, rude, and very un-ladylike- but she was still someone he had to protect.

The onslaught continued, and Hotaru herself had even managed to throw a few punches, though more often than not she just got herself trapped in their grasp again and Kuwabara was forced to save her. Hiei and Kurama appeared to be doing fine on their own, and had managed to cut the numbers down significantly by the time Kuwabara and Hotaru had reached them.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the tower above.

"That was the strongest strike yet," he said. "Their fight will end soon."

"Unless he kills him, he can't win," Hiei replied, though he no longer looked apathetic. In fact, if Kuwabara didn't know any better, Hiei almost looked _worried. _A final group of creatures had formed and was approaching, but Kurama quickly took care of them with his rose whip.

"Alright, that should be enough. Let's go!" he said, leading the way in through the central door. "They'll be on the top floor!"

Kuwabara lifted up Hotaru, slinging her across his back as Yusuke had done before, and they ran full speed up the steps. These steps were simple, curving upwards to the top of the tower. They could hear muffled shouts and screams, and ground shook beneath their feet, but they did not falter. A few times the staircase even crumbled before them, but they merely leapt over the gaps and continued on their way.

As they neared the top of the staircase there was a rumble even louder than before. The ceiling began to cave in somewhat, and large stones fell into their path. They managed to push themselves through the debris, albeit slowly, and finally emerged onto the top platform, which had similarly fallen to pieces.

It took a few minutes for Kuwabara to take in the entire scene- the entire place was filled with rubble, and there were about eight different people sprawled out on the ground. Seven of them looked alike, however, and with his bright green school uniform, Yusuke was easy to spot among them.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara called out, dropping Hotaru unceremoniously onto the ground. They ran to him- his eyes were closed and he looked still.

Kurama placed a hand on his chest. "This looks bad... he used up almost all of his reiki. His heart is barely beating."

Hotaru was scrambling to get to Yusuke as well. "I fucking told you-" she began, but she tripped over a boulder and landed flat on her face.

"I'll transfer some of my power to him!" Kuwabara shouted. His heart was beating out his chest as he looked at Yusuke, lying on the ground and out cold.

"That's like committing suicide!" Kurama protested.

"- as if you're one to talk!" Hotaru retorted, her face still firmly pressed against the ground.

Kurama ignored her, seemingly not hearing her at all. "You haven't recovered from your fight with Byakko yet!"

Kuwabara was practically shaking. He didn't know if they were really friends- it's not like they had ever hung out or anything. They had always just fought, ever since they first met in the streets of Sarayashiki. Even so, Kuwabara felt sick at the idea of him dying. He had experienced it once before, and had fallen into such a deep depression afterwards that nothing had been able to pull him out. Without his fighting partner, he felt lost. That's really what Yusuke was, a _partner. _In all his years, Kuwabara had never _hated_ Yusuke- they were adversaries, opponents. They had a bond that one could only form by facing someone in true battle. It was that bond that had convinced him to help on this mission- and it was that bond, and it's breaking, that had so devastated him when Yusuke had died in that accident.

He wouldn't experience that again- not if he could help it.

"I can't just stand here and watch him die!" Kuwabara yelled, overcome with intense emotion. "I'm the only one who can pass him reiki! There's no choice!"

Kuwabara placed both hands on Yusuke's chest, summoning what reiki he had left and trying to force it into Yusuke's body. It was surprisingly easy, and came naturally to him, and before he knew it, his reiki was flowing out of him and directly into Yusuke. "Yo! Wake up!" he pleaded. Though Yusuke didn't respond, Kuwabara could sense that it was working.

He felt his body becoming weak, but could feel Yusuke's heart beginning to beat again under his palms. He smiled, allowing his reiki to flow freely out from him and into his friend. _He may not be like the others... but we ARE friends. You hear that Urameshi!? We're friends and I'm going to save your damn life! _He glared down at Yusuke with gritted teeth. "So!? Wake up already!"

"It looks like now we'll have to carry them _both_ back to Ningenkai," Kurama commented, looking on from the sidelines.

"How annoying," replied the twerp. "It's incomprehensible why people would sacrifice themselves for others."

"But that's exactly why he was able to win against Suzaku," Kurama replied.

"He would have had to if you fuckers had been there during the fight!" Hotaru retorted. She had stumbled to her feet and stood between the two demons, looking in turn at both of them with a deadly look in her eye.

"I certainly wouldn't do it," Hiei replied, ignoring Hotaru's presence completely. "To fight for someone else in a battle like that is foolish."

"If Yusuke had lost, you probably wouldn't be saying the same thing."

"You've gotten much more talkative lately," Hiei replied.

Their voices began to grow fuzzy, and Kuwabara felt his limbs going weak. Yusuke was stronger now, he could sense it, and in his weakness Kuwabara finally fell to the ground. _Oh god I'm so tired. I feel like I'm dead._

As the other three argued amongst themselves, Kuwabara fell into a deep sleep, unable to keep himself awake any longer.


	10. Chapter 10: Things Begin to Burn

**Yusuke**

Yusuke awoke startled, sitting upright in an instant. He looked around- the place looked unfamiliar, and his head felt foggy. He ruffled his hair in an attempt to calm himself, but still felt disoriented.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice cracking from disuse.

"Oh! So you're awake!" replied Kuwabara. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed in which Yusuke had apparently been sleeping. "Relax! This is my room."

"You've been sleeping for three whole days," replied Kurama, who was leaning up against wall behind Kuwabara.

"The school's a mess," Kuwabara began with an excited grin. "We're on emergency break right now! Don't worry, I told your mom that you're okay."

Yusuke grimaced- his whole body was aching. "It's been three days?" he croaked out, his voice still not entirely back. "My body hurts like hell. Wait!" Suddenly, the realization of what had happened hit him and he fell into a panic. "How are Keiko and Botan!?"

"Oh, and Iwamoto? He's still being detained by the police!" Kuwabara replied, completely ignoring his question. "They say he doesn't remember a thing! And Mr. Takenaka hurt his head! He's still in the hospital!"

"That's not what is important!"

"Iwamoto is being detained by the police!"

"You said that already!"

"There's this joke about-"

"CUT THE CRAP AND ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Yusuke's heart was beating out of his chest. Even if he _was_ still alive, if Keiko had gotten hurt by that mob, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. And if she had _died_ he didn't know what he would do. "Kuwabara," he said in a tone that implied he was _not_ in the mood for silly stores. "Where are Keiko and Botan?"

Kuwabara's face fell, and Kurama's did as well. They both looked away, staring at the floor as if they were afraid to tell him something.

"Hey..." Yusuke began, even _more_ afraid that he had been before. "HEY!" He shouted again, but they still wouldn't meet his gaze. "DON'T JUST SHUT UP TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" He grabbed Kuwabara by the collar and shook him, "KUWABARA! SAY SOMETHING!"

Suddenly the door opened and from it emerged Botan and Keiko, seemingly unharmed. Yusuke fell open mouthed in shock.

"What's with all the shouting?" Botan asked in her usual cheery tone. "Oh! Yusuke! You're awake!"

Yusuke was dumbfounded, but from his side Kuwabara started giggling. "I was gonna keep him hanging for a while longer, but oh well..."

Kurama was laughing as well, "I think you slightly over did it."

Kuwabara burst into a laughing fit. "You should have seen your face!"

Yusuke, livid, took to punishing him with a few quick right hooks to the jaw. As Kuwabara lay on the floor incapacitated, Yusuke turned to Botan. "So what the hell happened?"

"Oh it was really close! I thought I was gonna die for sure and had already started praying!" Botan exclaimed happily. She always seemed to be happy, even when speaking about tragic events. "But when I came to I found them on the ground! Right then I knew you had won!"

"Really? Well, I'm glad you guys are all right," Yusuke replied. He was no longer angry or upset- seeing their faces, as well as pounding Kuwabara into the ground, had made him far less anxious. "I can finally relax now!" Even as he said the words, he felt the hard glare coming from Keiko. She didn't look happy, and Yusuke knew he would pay for it. He tried to avoid the subject. "So, uh, where's Hiei and that girl?"

"Well..." Kurama began, seemingly unsure of what to say.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from outside Kuwabara's room. "FUCK THIS!"

Yusuke leapt off the bed, followed by the others. Hotaru was in the kitchen, dressed in a flowery apron with an extremely angry look on her face. In the corner of the kitchen, perched on a counter, sat Hiei and to his side stood Shizuru, Kuwabara's sister, smoking a cigarette.

"I already told you the recipe-"

"- FUCK YOUR RECIPE!" Hotaru shouted, throwing a few other items onto the floor where the pan currently resided.

"Even _I_ could do this," Hiei replied from his seat on the counter. "Are you really so stupid you can't follow directions?"

"FUCK YOUR OMELETS!" Hotaru yelled in response. She moved to undo her apron, but got caught in the strings. "AARHG FUCK!"

"As punishment for hindering the mission, Hotaru has agreed to cook in exchange for our forgiveness," Kurama explained with a sly grin.

"Well at least they're okay!" Yusuke replied, laughing.

Hotaru froze suddenly, staring at him wide eyed, before her expression burst into an ear-to-ear smile. "Yusuke! Oh I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Heh, yea, I'm fine... a little sore though," he replied.

She eyed him warily, "Oh yea? Any... strange feelings? Powers? Urges?"

"Uh... no?"

Her smile fell- she looked rather disappointed. "Oh... well... that's cool, I guess."

"Should I have any?"

"What? Uh... no... er... no..."

Shizuru approached, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Glad to see your up. Aside from the soreness, you feeling okay?"

"Heh, yea, I think I'll be alright!" Yusuke replied with a wary smile. Glancing at Keiko, he could see she was still rather upset. _Though I won't be okay for long..._

"You hungry?" Shizuru asked with a smile.

"Oh totally!" he exclaimed.

Hotaru would have none of it, though and continued to try to untangle herself from the apron. "ARRG! FUCK!" she screamed before suddenly freezing. Hiei stood before her, his blade drawn and at her neck.

"Cook the fucking omelette or I'll cut you in half."

**Kurama**

Yusuke was finally awake and as such, the group had gone back to their normal lives. Or at least, Yusuke and Kuwabara had gone back to their normal lives. Hiei and Kurama, on the other hand, had been instructed to watch over them until their strength had returned back to normal.

It wasn't so bad- Kurama was quite good at multi-tasking and since his school was preparing the cultural festival he found he had a lot more free-time than normal. He had slipped out mid-day to check on the boys, when he had heard a troubling rumor. Apparently, two humans had been causing quite a bit of trouble- stealing, beating up innocent kids, and had been doing it under the name of Yusuke and Kuwabara, which had struck quite a nerve with neighboring street gangs.

Of course, Kurama knew that this wasn't _really_ the work of Yusuke and Kuwabara. They were far too sore and far too drained to be causing trouble like that. It also seemed a bit out of character- he couldn't vouch for Kuwabara, but after fighting the Four Saint Beasts with the two of them he had gotten the impression that Kuwabara held a similar honor code as Yusuke. They were rough, yes, but by no means would they resort to mindless violence just for kicks.

He had determined in a relatively short amount of time that they two perpetrators were a couple of demons. They looked surprisingly similar to the two boys, and Kurama was willing to bet that was on purpose- they meant to cause a bad name for Yusuke and his friend, in order to incite other humans to attack them. Once they were weakened, they most likely planned to pounce and kill Yusuke themselves.

Since their victory at Maze Castle, word had apparently spread quickly and many demons were eager to try themselves against the newest detective team. It was the same as when Kurama had begun protecting his city of Meiou. Rumor had spread quickly that there was a powerful human in Meiou that left no demonic intruder alive and rather than avoiding the city, many demons purposefully sought it out instead. Kurama suspected their motivation often lied in some sort of inferiority-complex.

It was no secret that residents of Makai hated the Ningenkai and its inhabitants, particularly humans. This hatred of humanity seemed, at least in Kurama's mind, to stem from some sort of jealousy. After all, one only needed to make a quick visit to the two worlds to realize that Ningenkai was infinitely better. Food was plentiful, the streets were safe, the technology was more advanced... not to mention the fact that humans still had their divine protection from King Enma, a gift that the Makai had lost many centuries ago.

As such, whenever there was a powerful human strutting about, many demons were eager to show them up and prove themselves against them, forever trying to prove that they were not inferior. And now Yusuke was their new target.

Kurama was now nearing the rooftop of a building, located only a few miles from the park where the two impostors were currently residing, awaiting their impending fight with Yusuke. Hiei would be here. This was one of the tallest buildings in Sarayashiki and the only one of them that stood abandoned- it was the perfect perch for Hiei to watch over the detective and his friend.

When Koenma had ordered Hiei to protect the boys, he had apparently claimed he would do nothing to help. Thankfully, Kurama had already informed Koenma to expect this, and to disregard it- Hiei would follow their directions, even if he claimed he wouldn't. If Kurama had come to know anything about the small demon during their few years as friends, it was that Hiei was good at heart, trustworthy and almost always had good intentions, and that he would never, _ever_ admit it.

Unfortunately, he doubted that Reikai would be as patient in finding out Hiei's true character as Kurama was. Though he had demonstrated this trustworthiness in Maze Castle, Kurama knew it wasn't enough to truly win over Koenma and his father. However, Maze Castle had only been the first part of his plan.

Kurama emerged onto the roof top and sure enough- Hiei was there, perched on the railing, his black cloak flowing in the wind. He was laughing to himself- an evil sort of laugh that Kurama had grown accustomed to.

"So... what are you thinking about, Hiei?" Kurama called across the roof, despite the fact he already knew. Hiei was no doubt hatching a malicious plan in his head, one that probably involved killing or otherwise maiming Yusuke and his friends. He came up with plans like that quite often. When they first began spending time together, it had troubled Kurama, but he had yet to ever see him actually carry one of them out.

Hiei bristled and froze in place- Kurama could tell he surprised him and smiled. "'Aah, what a hassle!'" Kurama said in an attempt to imitate him. "'This Reikai business is so troublesome!'"

"Stop hiding your aura and popping up behind people!" Hiei yelled back. Honestly, Kurama was always amazed by how truly _easy_ it was to sneak up on Hiei, despite his Jagan Eye and constant vigilance. In all his years of purposefully surprising the small demon, he had yet to catch him once. It had become one of his absolute favorite tricks and a constant source of amusement.

"What are you doing here?" Kurama asked, though, once again, he already knew the answer.

"Nothing important," Hiei replied back. "What about you?"

"Reikai asked me to protect Yusuke, but the wound in my stomach hasn't completely healed yet," Kurama began, a sly smile growing on his face. "And it's the same place someone stabbed me a while ago..."

"What are you trying to say?" Hiei snapped back. Suddenly, he turned to look at him, clearly angry and shouting for almost no apparent reason. "I have no intention of following orders from Reikai! I only helped in order to gain my freedom!"

_I guess that's his version of an apology,_ Kurama thought to himself, his smile only growing. He had suspected that Hiei felt guilty about the stabbing incident and his sudden anger seemed to be proof of that. "Oh, really?" Kurama replied, turning to leave. "Oh, that's right! I meant to tell you... I've determined that the impostors and Yusuke will be fighting at about 4 o'clock this afternoon in the Jigoku Housing Development."

"I said I'm not going!" Hiei yelled back through gritted teeth.

"Well, if Yusuke is defeated by those third-rate demons, then I suppose by the transitive property, they've defeated you as well," Kurama replied with a look of feigned innocence. With that Kurama left, closing the door behind him. He walked slowly down the steps, smiling to himself. He was only about one flight down when Hiei suddenly appeared next to him.

"Let's get this over with!" he snapped.

_That was faster than I estimated,_ Kurama thought, pleasantly surprised. Hiei really _was_ changing and Kurama was willing to bet that Yusuke had something to do with that. "Glad to see you've decided to help."

"I'm not helping!" Hiei shouted, his voice echoing down the stairwell. "I'm just in the mood to fight something and this is a good excuse."

"Oh, yes, of course."

"That's all!"

Kurama didn't press him further- he didn't want Hiei to change his mind, after all. "These demons have given Yusuke and Kuwabara a very bad name, and some rival human gangs are seeking vengeance. I think the impostors plan to jump Yusuke and Kuwabara after they've been forced to fight against these other humans. They have a small group of other demons with them as well."

"So what's the plan?"

"You take care of the demons and I'll take care of the humans. I think with some simple negotiation I may be able to turn the rival gangs back to Yusuke's side."

Hiei scowled, but kept his eyes to the ground. "You foxes and your negotiations..."

"Hiei," Kurama said, coming to an abrupt halt. Hiei stopped as well, but still refused to look at him. "Do you _still_ think I told Hotaru about your sister?"

"Like, I said, it's only natural..."

"I still highly doubt she's a fox, but even if she _was_, Hiei, I wouldn't tell her."

"Liar."

Kurama sighed- Hiei would never believe him. Not unless he could prove he was on his side. Thankfully, Kurama had expected this and had prepared for it. If things went according to his plan, he might be able to not only win back Hiei's trust, but also finally convince Reikai that Hiei was not a threat.

He removed the video tape from his pocket. "I was instructed to give this tape to Yusuke- it contains details regarding his newest mission," Kurama began.

"Why the hell would I care about that?"

"The mission is to rescue Yukina."

Hiei looked shocked, his eyes wide and now intently fixed on the tape in Kurama's hand. He reached for it, but Kurama pulled it away. "You must give this tape to Yusuke. Failure to do so could be considered obstruction of justice, which is a violation of your punishment's terms."

"Hn, I don't care about that," Hiei replied, reaching again. Kurama pulled it away and the little demon grew enraged- he did not like being reminded of his size.

"I mean it, Hiei. You _must_ give the tape to Yusuke. Koenma doesn't want you looking at this tape- he thinks that you'd do something drastic, something against your punishment's terms, since this matter is about your sister. Of course, you'd never do something so _stupid_ but he's skeptical," Kurama stated. He smiled, feigning innocence once again. "Of course, if you happened to look at it before hand, and happened to keep your knowledge a secret, I don't know how they would find out about it..."

Hiei's face gave no hint to what he was thinking and for a long time he stayed silent. Finally, he smiled, "I'll make sure Yusuke gets the message."

Kurama smiled widely, handing the tape over. "I hope you can consider this a token of friendship, Hiei, and proof that I'm on your side."

"You didn't tell her?"

"Really, Hiei. I would never tell anyone."

"You just said Koenma knew about it."

"Oh! Well... "

"You told him, didn't you?"

"Well..."

"Hn... don't worry about it."

Kurama had been caught in his lie but somehow, Hiei didn't seem to be upset. In fact, he was _smiling_, admiring the tape in his hands. Kurama began his descent again, leaving Hiei with his thoughts. He could only imagine what was going through his head right then. He had been looking for his sister for over two years with no leads. She was all he ever thought about- even in his sleep he muttered her name. And now he finally had the means to find her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hiei."

**Hotaru**

Her legs were killing her. Actually, most of her body was still sore. She had been released from her 'punishment' two days ago but even now everything was hurting. She hadn't run that much in centuries and was obviously feeling its effects. _That's the last time I go on a mission with those fucks_.

She sat in her bathtub, soaking in the hottest water her faucet could muster up, in an attempt to relax her aching muscles. However, her bathroom was small, and her bathtub even smaller. Even for someone her size, she was forced to sit with her knees curled up to her chest, and the water only reached the middle of her back.

She had thought about going to a bathhouse- those would be far more spacious, and weren't all that expensive, but she was literally flat broke now with absolutely no money to her name. She had spent the last of her savings on that stupid demon whistle, planning to sell it to someone else after the mission was over, but stupid Yusuke had gone and broken the thing.

She hadn't wanted to spend the money, but she couldn't think of any other items that would do the trick. She had needed to find something that was powerful enough to convince Suzaku that he had gained some sort of advantage, but it needed to be weak enough to not cause any serious damage. The insects _had_ caused quite a bit more rioting than Hotaru had expected, but overall, her beloved human world remained untouched.

Once Hotaru had found the whistle, convincing Suzaku to rebel had been easy enough. Him and his three little friends were always chomping at the bit to cause trouble and jumped at the chance. Hotaru had gone in the form of an ogre, claiming that she was offering them the gift in exchange for asylum from Reikai's oppressive regime. As soon as they had accepted her gift and summoned the insects, Hotaru left to go take care of her Yukina problem. By the time she had returned (albeit unsuccessful in rescuing the girl), the insects were out and Yusuke was already on his way to Maze Castle.

Hotaru had figured from then on it would be smooth sailing. She convinced Koenma to send her along as well as a guide, lifting her ban on "interfering" with detective affairs. She said they would need one, as Maze Castle was notoriously difficult to navigate, hence its name. This was, of course, not true. Maze Castle was actually quite simple and had a straight-forward layout. It's full name was The Sixth Stronghold of Yoshimitsu Maze; Yoshimitsu Maze was a demon architect from hundreds of years ago who build many somewhat famous castles in his time. After he was killed, a fate befalling most every demon at some point in time, his castles fell into disuse and soon became inhabited by thieves and other lowlives seeking refuge. Of course, this was an obscure fact and one that Hotaru only knew because she used to participate in trivia contests at Makai bars for prize money.

Nevertheless, Koenma didn't know all of that and agreed to her plan. Finally, Hotaru was allowed to interact with the detective directly. In her mind, the hard part was over- but it was really just beginning.

Taking the long route through Maze Castle had been far more difficult that Hotaru ever imagined and, in the end, it wasn't even worth it. None of the boys would listen to her advice and, because of that, Yusuke had almost died (again). _I'll never understand fighters and their stupid 'honor code'. I mean, you're killing people... how the fuck does honor come into play in that kind of situation? _

Even worse, once the whole ordeal was over, Yusuke was no closer to coming into his demonic powers. Hotaru was beginning to question if he even had them at all. Hokushin and the other monks had given her a bracelet when she was given the task of finding their heir- it was a simple leather bracelet with a simple chain link attached. They said that once the heir's power awakened, the chain would react similar to a powerful magnet and that would mean it was time to bring him back to Raizen's territory.

So far though, it was just an ugly bracelet and Yusuke was just a human. Even worse, Hotaru had no more alternatives- the demonic genes could apparently only be expressed in male offspring, so Atsuko couldn't be an heir, and as far as Hotaru knew, Yusuke didn't have any secret brothers. He was her only hope to find this supposed heir of Raizen's.

_Looks like now I'll have to find some other excuse to take him to the Makai... ugh, but I'll need to rustle up some cash first...Maybe Mukuro would let him do a homestay? _Hotaru sighed and sunk down awkwardly into the bath, curling into a little ball half-covered in lukewarm water. _I guess it's not so bad... so long as he isn't pulled into a fight and killed by some super strong dude, I'll be able to figure something out. _


	11. Chapter 105: Hiei and Video Tapes

**Hiei**

"That damn Kurama..."

Hiei sat on the roof top of the building. Before him lay the video tape- the one that would tell him where his sister was being kept. His heart was almost beating out of his chest, but he forced himself to relax. He had been waiting for this day for a very long time and he would not allow himself to ruin it by becoming anxious.

Kurama had said Yukina was to be "rescued". Hiei had no idea from what, but it made sense. He had been unable to find her with his Jagan Eye, despite its capabilities, and had figured a long time ago that she was being held somewhere and hidden behind some sort of barrier. He did not like the idea of her being held against her will, however, and he assumed that was why Hotaru had refused to take him to her. Hiei would kill whoever he must to get to Yukina- something Hotaru and Reikai would undoubtedly not approve of.

He had been kicking himself for not forcing the information out of Hotaru when he had the chance. At the time, he hadn't wanted to let the others know about his sister, so he had held his tongue, but once she was released from the Kuwabara household she had become untraceable again and Hiei had immediately regretted his decision.

However, none of that mattered now, because he finally had the answers he was searching for. They were held on this very tape and once he had his answers, no one, not even Reikai, could stop him from rescuing Yukina himself.

Kurama's words echoed in his head. _"Koenma doesn't want you looking at this tape..."_

The tape was merely inches away and Reikai be damned. Hiei's gaze intensified as he looked upon it.

"_Of course, if you happened to look at it..." _

His Jagan began to glow dangerously beneath it's bandage, focused squarely on the tape in front of him.

"_Of course, if you happened to look at it... "_

_"...if you happened to look..." _

_"...to look..."_

_"... _**_look_**_..." _

.

.

.

.

.

"GOD DAMN IT NOTHING'S HAPPENING!"

* * *

He had seen these idiotic human contraptions before- even _children_ possessed them. They could not possibly be this difficult to use. If a human could do it, so could he. Nevertheless, Hiei had been looking at the stupid tape for over 30 minutes and _still_ nothing.

"I'm going to kill Kurama," Hiei muttered under his breath. This must be some trick- some terrible joke at his expense. The fox played him for a fool and he fell for it like an idiot. This tape must be broken- that must be it. It's a dud that the fox stumbled across and he thought it would be funny to play a prank of Hiei. There was never any mission. It was all a lie. _That fucking fox... he's probably standing in that stupid stairwell laughing at me. I'll kill him! _

He stood swiftly, over taken by fury. He jumped to a neighboring roof, determined to find Kurama, but suddenly he found himself turning back. The tape still lay where he left it. _Don't be stupid_, he told himself, and continued on to the next roof, only to stop and look back once more. Still, the tape they there, on the floor, mocking him.

If this wasn't a joke, he would hate himself forever for leaving behind such important information. He gritted his teeth and hopped back- one more try. Just one more. Maybe it just needed time to... adjust to his aura or something before it turned on.

He picked up the tape from where it lay and gave it another hard look- even harder than before. He stared at it, his Jagan beginning to glow again. He stared so hard he thought his eyes might pop out of his skull. He felt a blood vessel burst, but ignored it. He had never looked so hard in his life.

But still, nothing.

Angrily, Hiei threw the tape on the ground. _I swear to the gods, Kurama, you- wait!_ Suddenly it all made sense and more of Kurama's words came back to him. _"I was instructed to give this tape to Yusuke- it contains details regarding his newest mission... it contains details regarding his newest mission... it _**_contains_**_.._..."

The tape had split open cleanly into two pieces. One was merely a plastic covering, while the other contained a long reel of shiny, black parchment coiled neatly inside. _So that's what you meant, huh?_ Hiei thought to himself with a wicked chuckle. _Koenma probably assumed that I wouldn't be able to figure it out. Heh, silly child-god. You thought you could outsmart me, but I've outsmarted YOU! _

* * *

Finally, Hiei had managed scouring the black reel. It was composed of very tiny photographs. Truly he didn't understand why humans were so fond of these things. The photos were tiny- too tiny to see clearly, and had poor coloring. Not to mention, the work was tedious- most of the photos were repeats and over half of them had been portraits of the idiotic child-god.

None of that mattered though, because mixed among the photos, he had seen it- Yukina. It was really her, he knew the moment he saw the picture that it was. He didn't know how, after all he had never actually met her- he hadn't even ever seen her. But he just knew- this was his sister.

Putting the tape back into it's previous form had proven somewhat difficult, but it took less time than it had taken Hiei to open it. He rewound the string of photographs and set them inside as they had been before, popping the top back onto the tape. Once it was all done, Hiei smiled to himself.

He had found what he was looking for and the stupid detective would be none the wiser.


	12. Chapter 11: Cut Flesh to Cover a Sore

**Koenma**

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"I'm afraid not."

Hotaru slammed her hands down on his desk and Koenma jumped in his seat. The papers, which he had spent hours stamping and organizing, tumbled to the floor in a scrambled mess.

"Hey!" Koenma shouted, trying to grab the papers in mid air and failing horribly.

"This is the stupidest thing I've ever fucking heard!" she yelled.

"Is it really?" chimed Kurama, who stood to Koenma's left.

She flinched, but refused to make eye contact with him. Her gaze was focused squarely on Koenma, and he found himself sweating a bit. "I should have been consulted about this."

"Kurama said-"

"- I don't give a _fuck_ what Kurama said. Kurama's a fucking criminal- you shouldn't be taking advice from him," she replied. Certainly she was right about that, but Koenma was beginning to wonder if he should really take advice from _either_ of them.

"Perhaps if you weren't always preoccupied he might have," Kurama replied in Koenma's stead.

Once again, Hotaru chose to ignore him, but her eyebrow visibly twitched. "This is insanity, Koenma. This is a _bad fucking idea_. Call it off."

"I can't call it off. This mission is of upmost importance."

"Then send the fucking SDF!"

"I can't just send them out whenever I please! They're my father's men, not mine!" Koenma spat back.

"Then figure something else out!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the desk again.

Koenma jumped up and stood on his chair to match Hotaru's height. "I have no other options!"

"Are you serious? 'No other options'?" Hotaru replied incredulously. "_Of course_ you have other options!"

Koenma glared. "Fine then, what do you think I should do?"

"Fucking _nothing_!"

"Because that worked out so well for you," Kurama replied with a faint smile.

Finally, she looked at him, her eyes burning. "Shut the fuck up, fox. This doesn't concern you."

"I'm afraid I must disagree-"

"- I know you like to pretend you're the gods' gift to us, but you're not. You're a fucking criminal on fucking probation and you don't call the shots."

"And you do?" he replied calmly.

Hotaru bristled, but held herself back. She closed her eyes and breathed deep to calm herself, then returned her gaze to Koenma. "Don't you remember what happened last time you sent a spirit detective to deal with the Black Book Club?"

"This is different! Yusuke is different! Besides... it can't be helped." He swallowed, hard, and closed his eyes in resignation. He hadn't wanted to mention this, Kurama had informed him that it was to be a secret between them, but he didn't know how else to convince her. "The girl is Hiei's sister."

"Eh!?" Hotaru's eyes went wide, her brows furrowing. "... You know about that?"

_Wait, she already knew?_ Koenma shouldn't have been surprised- Hotaru often kept secrets from Reikai. She claimed they were on a 'need-to-know basis' though quite frankly, he felt that this was certainly need-to-know information. "The tape was sent anonymously a few days ago," Koenma explained. "After watching it, Kurama informed me of the girl's identity- she's a koorime named Yukina and more than likely Hiei's twin sister."

"Kurama told you?" She turned to look at him and he merely smiled in return. She approached him quickly and with heavy steps, crossing her arms and looking at him hatefully. "How the fuck did you know about that?"

"Hiei told me," he replied simply. "I think the real question is how did _you_ know?"

Koenma was rather interested in that as well. "Yea, Hotaru, how did-"

"- Who cares how I know!" she yelled back, throwing up her hands in frustration. "The point is, this is insanity. You wanted to know what the Toguro Brother's power is right? _Kiling shit_. That's their power. _Fucking shit up_. Yusuke will be crushed!"

"Well what do you expect me to do!?"

"Like I said, _fucking nothing!_ Do nothing!" she replied as if it were the simplest solution in the world.

She clearly didn't understand the gravity of this situation. Should Hiei be executed, Kurama would more than likely turn against them, which may be dangerous even if he _had_ signed a contract. More importantly, Yusuke would be left without any supporting fighters which could be dangerous. She clearly seemed frightened by the Toguro Brothers, which Koenma could understand. His men hadn't been able to find much on them, but he had found that for the past few decades they were the winners of the Dark Tournament. Even so, Yusuke was his only option and he would have to be enough.

"I get that the girls situation is sad or whatever," Hotaru continued. "But shit like this happens every day. Just because she's Hiei's sister doesn't mean that she gets special treatment. Not to mention, he's never even fucking _met_ her... so... you know. Eh." She finished with a shrug.

"And what if Hiei finds out?"

"Just don't fucking tell him, _obviously._"

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh... oh, actually, that might work!" Koenma smiled, feeling the weight of his most recent decision slide cleanly off his shoulders. "Shame about that Yukina girl but I guess it can't be helped!"

Hotaru seemed relieved as well. "Oh thank god. I thought you'd never listen."

"Well excuse me for trying to help people!" he snapped back.

"Trust me, it's best not to get involved," Hotaru replied. She gave a heavy sigh, smiling, and removed the flask from her pocket. "Man am I glad you called me though. If you hadn't, Yusuke might have gotten killed!"

"You're right, I should take your advice more often!"

"You definitely should!"

They laughed together, both smiling gleefully. Koenma regained his seat happily and turned to Kurama. "Do you still have that tape I gave you to give to Yusuke?"

"Actually, I gave the tape to Hiei."

"WHAT!?"

"Are you a fucking idiot?!"

"The whole point of this was to make sure Hiei _didn't_ find out!"

"He's going to kill Tarukane for sure! Are you _trying_ to get him executed!?"

Despite having both of them shouting in his face, Kurama seemed unperturbed. He looked at them both plainly, his voice calm and his face expressionless. "I do not think Hiei will kill Tarukane."

"Oh good! _I feel better_," Hotaru spat sarcastically.

"Hiei would not break your arrangement with him," Kurama said to Koenma. "He may be difficult, he may have not even wanted to bargain in the first place, but he can be trusted."

"Not in my experience..." Hotaru mumbled, but it went largely ignored by the both of them.

Koenma's head was conflicted- he had come to rely on Kurama and his advice, but was beginning to doubt if he should have. Perhaps he had been too quick to warm up to the fox- perhaps he was being manipulated. "I'm sorry, Kurama, I just can't trust you on this."

"I know," Kurama replied. "That's why I did it. Despite our actions at Maze Castle, and yesterday at the Jigoku Housing Development, Hiei and I have yet to earn your full trust. I feel this may suffice as proof that Hiei is not a danger to Reikai and can be trusted."

"Lying to gain someone's trust?" Hotaru scoffed. "Typical fox nonsense."

Kurama's eyes narrowed in her direction, though his tone of voice did not change. "You are certainly not one to talk about matters of trust."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"The Four Saint Beasts... you were responsible for giving them the whistle, were you not?"

"Kurama! That is a serious accusation!" Koenma objected.

"In case you forgot, I was _with_ you guys," Hotaru replied, indignant.

"That is precisely why I was suspicious," Kurama began. His gaze shifted to Koenma. "Koenma, you have known Hotaru for longer than I have, but does it not seem strange for her to agree to go on a mission, especially one so dangerous?"

"Yes, but she was going to be your guide through the Maze!"

"Hotaru claimed to know the layout of the castle, which was quite true- she did. As such, she should also be well aware that we would _not_ need a guide and, seeing as how she is no fighter, I began to wonder why she had shown up at all," Kurama began. It was true, Hotaru had been incapacitated mere minutes after arrival, yet the boys had been fine navigating without her help. "It wasn't until Yusuke had defeated Suzaku that I realized- you see, Hotaru was noticeably upset about the whistle being broken."

"That doesn't prove anything!" Hotaru protested. "That whistle is valuable- I could have gotten some cash off of it."

"You were going to sell that on the black market!?"

"Well... uh... maybe?"

Kurama turned back to Hotaru. "If I may ask... how much does a whistle like that usually sell for?"

Hotaru looked suspicious, but answered all the same. "Not that much, I guess. About ten-eleven thousand yen?"

Her eyes narrowed further as Kurama smiled- a wicked smile. She had obviously fallen into his trap and Koenma watched with bated breath.

"What about a _Goshubachi_?"

"Um..."

"What about a _Meigetsukin_?"

"Wait! Lemme think-"

"Do you know the price of a _Fujinchou_?"

"Give me a minute!"

"Do you even know if any of these items possess significant value?"

"Um..." Seeing Hotaru struggling was like watching a fly trapped in a spider web, and for some reason Koenma found it oddly satisfying.

Kurama turned his attention back to Koenma. "The items I have just listed are all similar to the whistle used by Suzaku. Namely, they are demonic horticultural tools. They are somewhat rare, however, and are used almost exclusively in the cultivation of _toukyuu saizoku_. Someone would have to know quite a lot about demonic horticulture to know of their existence, much less their price, and seeing as how Hotaru knows none of these things, I feel it's fairly obvious that she had some prior knowledge of the whistle before we ever set foot inside the castle."

Hotaru's voice did not betray her, but her brow was noticeably sweating and Koenma thought her face looked vaguely anxious. "So I did some research, who cares? Even Hiei said that he was looking to pick up some valuable stuff there, so it's not like I was the only one either."

"Perhaps, but Hiei was at least honest about his intentions," Kurama replied.

"Just because I didn't say outright that I was looking for shit to sell doesn't mean that I was 'conspiring with the enemy' or whatever the fuck you think I did."

"Since Yusuke's revival, Hotaru's loyalty has seemed scattered," Kurama said, looking to Koenma instead of Hotaru. "Perhaps you were unaware, but while your detective was fighting to bring back the items that Hiei and I stole, Hotaru was in contact with us directly."

"Is this true?" Koenma asked, giving Hotaru a hard look that she seemed to buckle under.

"Well, wait, that's not in context-"

"- After our heist, Hotaru came to me with an offer to help me escape to Makai. Similarly, once Hiei was arrested and incarcerated, she came to him, offering to take him to his sister if he cooperated with Reikai authorities."

"Damn it Hotaru!" Koenma yelled. Hotaru's eyes were shifty and she was biting her lip, looking quite obviously guilty. All she managed in her defense was a weak smile and a shrug, and Koenma hung his head in his hands. "How could you conspire with the enemy?"

"_Former_ enemy," Kurama corrected. "After Hiei's release, Hotaru refused to take him, going back on her word. I believe this is because Hotaru knew about Yukina and her capture long before that anonymous tape was even sent."

"I suppose that does make sense..." Koenma conceded. He didn't want to believe it- after all, Hotaru had served well as an informant all these years, despite her rather selfish attitude. And even though she had connections to groups like the Black Book Club or numerous demonic criminals, she had never once sided with anyone but Reikai in the past. If her allegiance had changed, it would be problematic.

"Furthermore," Kurama continued. "I believe she may have even had a hand in her capture."

"Hey, that's fucking uncalled for!" Hotaru shouted back. "I would _never_ do something like that!"

"So you say, but based upon your record, your word is unreliable," Kurama replied.

"I'm serious!" Hotaru ruffled her hair in frustration, obviously upset that she had been caught. "Ugh, okay, fine! Yes! I gave Suzaku the whistle and all of that but... it was... well, it was like a _training_ exercise!"

"Yusuke almost died there!" Koenma yelled back.

"I know!" she replied. "That's why I went along! So that these idiots wouldn't do something stupid like sending Yusuke in to fight alone! But they didn't listen to me, did they? That was _their_ fault, not mine."

"You've already shown your sympathy for the enemy," Kurama said with a cold stare. "Why should we believe you about this?"

"In case you forgot, that enemy was _you_, asshat."

Koenma's head was reeling- considering their current predicament, this was all too much to take in right now. "We'll deal with this later!" he commanded. "Right now we need to focus! Yusuke may be on his way to Toguro as we speak and we need to figure out how to deal with this!"

"Yes, well, I believe our answer may lie with Hotaru."

"Wait, what? _Me?"_

"As I was saying before- Hotaru has so far been loyal to both sides of every conflict. She also had prior knowledge of Yukina's location. I believe that Hotaru is in contact with those that are holding Yukina and can negotiate her release."

"God you're fucking stupid," Hotaru replied with a dramatic eye-roll. "Hiei's been hunting me down about that girl since he got released. Her being in there is doing me no fucking favors, so don't you think I would have gotten her released if I could have?"

"Before you simply lacked the proper motivation."

"So you're threatening Yusuke _and_ Hiei's lives just to give me 'motivation'?"

"I'm not threatening their lives, because I know that you have the capabilities to stop this."

Hotaru seemed dumbfounded. "No words. I have no words to describe how fucking stupid that is."

Koenma was growing more and more irritated by the second. "This is an extreme way to prove a point."

"I am not doing this to prove a point," Kurama corrected. "I'm doing this so that my friend's sister may be freed. Informing you of Hotaru's treachery was done merely to illustrate that she is not reliable."

"I'm not fucking treacherous!" Hotaru snapped. "The only reason I ever sided with you in the first place was so that you wouldn't kill Yusuke!"

"And the reason you freed Hiei?"

"Shut up, that was different! He owes me and I'm going to make sure that little fucker pays up," she replied through gritted teeth. "But trust me- I have no way of freeing Yukina. I know people in the Black Book Club, sure, but Tarukane's a straight up asshole. I don't talk to that guy."

Kurama sighed. "You've clearly demonstrated prior knowledge of Yukina's capture, as well as openly admitted your connections to this group. It's obvious that you have it in your power to free her, yet you continue to lie."

"I'm not lying, you fucking lunatic."

Koenma was twiddling his thumbs and feeling conflicted. On the one hand, Hotaru was clearly up to something. However, he wasn't too eager to side with Kurama, who was quite obviously manipulating the situation as well as Koenma himself. Nevertheless, he had a point. "I'm inclined to agree with Kurama."

"Are you fucking serious?"

"He's right! You just admitted that you've been working with the enemy on every single case Yusuke's been assigned yet! And it's not like you haven't done this sort of thing in the past, though certainly not to this degree... "

"I can assure you- I am _NOT_ in cahoots with fucking Gonzo Tarukane."

"Quit playing the fool and act now, before Yusuke's life is lost," Kurama replied with a threatening tone.

"I swear to god, I'm going to strangle you."

"It's okay, Hotaru," Koenma began in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "I promise you that if you just come clean then we'll forgive you!"

"There's nothing to come clean _about_!"

Kurama sighed, shaking his head. "This is truly pathetic."

She snapped back to him, enraged once more. "_You're_ the pathetic one! You're too stubborn to admit you were fucking wrong."

"I wasn't wrong."

"Yes, you were!" she screamed. "And now Toguro's going to kill Yusuke and all because _you_ couldn't keep your nose out of my fucking business!You should be fucking arrested for what you've done."

"And what have I done?"

"Fucking sabotage! You've sabotaged everything! And on _fucking purpose_."

"At least I'm not the one who lied..."

She looked like she was about to explode then and there- her face was beet red, her brow furrowed intently, and Koenma could even hear her teeth grinding against one another. After a few moments of silence, without any of the three saying a word, she groaned, ruffling her hair in frustration and redirecting her gaze, and her fury, towards Koenma.

"You want the truth, huh?" she snapped. He stared on wide eyed and silent, but managed a slight nod and she continued through gritted teeth. "I've known where Yukina is for a while now." Kurama let out a slight laugh and she bristled, but continued despite it. "I had a plan- I knew someone to get her out. _That's_ why I told Hiei I would take him to her. But my guy fell through and now we're all fucked."

"What do you mean he 'fell through'?" Koemna asked.

She looked away, gnawing at her lip. "He changed his mind."

"Why?"

"How the fuck should I know?" she snapped. "The important thing is- that was my solution to the problem and it didn't fucking work and now I'm probably in big fucking trouble because of it."

"What kind of trouble!?"

"Again- doesn't fucking matter. The point is, why would I go to all that trouble if I could just waltz over and ask Tarukane nicely to let her go? She turned to both Koenma and Kurama individually, and when neither came up with a response she groaned again. "I swear to god Kurama, you're such an asshole."

His expression was stoic, but Koenma could sense the fox was angry. It was a bit frightening, actually. "Perhaps if you had been honest then-"

"- Oh go fuck yourself," Hotaru replied. "Stop putting the blame on me just because you don't want to admit you fucked up."

"If you want to look at it that way."

"Oh believe me, I do."

The three fell into another uncomfortable silence and Koenma began nervously drumming his fingers against the desk. He tried his best to process all the information he had just been presented with, but it was difficult and a bit overwhelming. All he really knew were two things: Kurama definitely couldn't be trusted and, unfortunately, neither could Hotaru.

"There's really nothing you can do?"

"Ugh, jesus christ, _no_."

"Well then what do we do now?" he whined.

Kurama was silent, his eyes fixed on a corner of the room. When she noticed this, Hotaru grinned like a mad villain. "Maybe you should ask your trusted adviser?"

"Oh quit bragging! Now is not the time!" Koenma yelled. "We need to figure out how to help Yusuke!"

"Not to mention that Hiei knows too," Hotaru cooed with a satisfied look in Kurama's direction.

"JUST THINK, WOULD YOU?"

The room fell into silence- Koenma was standing on his desk fuming, Kurama was avoiding eye contact like a dog that had just peed on the carpet, and Hotaru looked far too satisfied. However, as the silence continued her smile slowly began to fade and she began tapping her foot anxiously, sighing and ruffling her hair.

Finally, she spoke, mumbling through gritted teeth. "God damn it Kurama, you fucking asshole." She clearly was unhappy with this decision, and spoke to Koenma with a determined stare and serious tone. "Tell Yusuke that the mission is off. If Hiei kills someone, or gets himself killed... well, I guess we can just blame that one on Kurama, can't we?"

Kurama didn't even bother to protest, which let Koenma know that they really didn't have any other options. He fell back into his chair and pressed a button on the side of his desk. "Botan! Botan come to my office immediately! It's an emergency!"

She was there within a few minutes- poking her head through the door and looking worried. "Yes, Koenma, what is it?"

"I need you to go and tell Yusuke that the mission is off."

Botan shook her head, "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think I can..."

"What you do mean by that!?"

She flinched, then smiled nervously. "Well, it's just that they've already left! Kuwabara saw the video tape, and I guess he's fallen in love with Yukina, so he ran off to go and find her and Yusuke went after him!"

Koenma was worried he would burst a blood vessel. "What was Kuwabara doing watching the tape!?"

"I didn't think he'd be able to see it, since it was encrypted and everything!" she replied nervously. "But now that I he has, I don't think I'll be able to convince him to turn back. He doesn't seem like the type that would give up on a rescue mission and if _he_ isn't turning back then there's no way that Yusuke will!"

"She's right," Kurama agreed. "Neither of them will turn back now that they understand the purpose."

"So what are we supposed to do!?" Koenma shouted angrily.

The room fell silent again. Botan merely shrugged while Hotaru resumed her foot tapping. Koenma looked to Kurama, who's eyes were firmly on Hotaru. He looked at Hotaru as well and under the pressure of their combined gaze she began to ruffle her hair again. Botan, most likely unsure why, followed suit.

"Would you guys stop looking at me? There isn't anything I can do about this..."

However, Kurama didn't remove his gaze and so neither did Koenma.

"I'm serious. I'm out of options..."

Still, they kept their gaze firm.

"I can't help you. I'm not lying. It's true. I can't do anything."

Kurama's blank expression grew into a knowing grin, and Koenma noticed Hotaru began to sweat under the pressure.

"I really can't."

His smile grew and Hotaru resumed her foot-tapping- slow at first, but the pace quickening with every passing moment. Her hand that ruffled her hair soon began pulling at it angry, and her eyes got shifty.

They waited- and as she got worse, Kurama only seemed to grow more confident. Koenma, however, was about to give up until-

"FUCK GOD DAMN IT! FINE!" she screamed before stomping out of the office and slamming the door behind her.

Kurama smiled, pleased with himself and Botan furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What's her problem?"

**Hiei**

_This must be it_.

Hiei stood on a limb of a tall tree overlooking the mansion. It was exactly like the one he had seen in the tiny photos and located a few kilometers outside of the nearest city. Though he couldn't sense his sister's presence, he knew that she must be here. Whoever was holding her had undoubtedly used some sort of protective spell to mask her energy, thinking that would protect them. Now, Hiei intended to show them that they were wrong.

In a flash he was gone and running full speed towards the mansion. He came in on the second floor, crashing through a window with his sword already drawn. The room he had entered into was a dining hall- long and elegant. It was decorated with valuable items, such as crystal chandeliers or expensive tapestries. The table was being set with fine china as well by an old human man, though he had dropped the plates he was holding upon Hiei's entrance.

Before the man could even speak, Hiei was on him, his sword to his throat. "Take me to the girl," he hissed.

The old man's eyes were wide and he was shaking. "S-sir... I-"

"Shut up!" Hiei barked. "Take me to her _now_."

"Please..."

Hiei heard the sound of more plates crashing and turned behind him. A woman dressed in a maid's outfit had entered and was staring at the scene horrified. Hiei turned back to the old man, ignoring the woman and pressing the edge of his blade into the loose skin of the man's neck. "I do not want to kill you, old man, but if you refuse me I will be forced to."

"S-she..." he began slowly, his eyes fixed on Hiei and terrified. "S-she's not here!"

Hiei's eyes narrowed and his Jagan began to glow beneath it's bandage. "I can tell when you lie to me. Do not do it again."

"I... I..."

"Where is she?" Hiei raised his blade threatening, pointing the tip of it to the chest of the old man.

"I..."

Truly he did not want to kill this man- not that he had a moral objection to it, but he did not like the idea of being executed by Reikai all because he killed some old fool. Nevertheless, the man was lying and he meant to show the woman behind him that he did not suffer liars.

Thankfully, before he could strike, the woman spoke. "She's upstairs!" she yelled suddenly, tears welling in her eyes. "She's in her chambers!"

"Yuri! No!" the old man yelled weakly. Hiei let go of the man and he fell to his knees, staring at the maid in horror.

"Take me to her," Hiei commanded.

The woman left the room and Hiei followed, leaving the man behind. As they did he cried out in anguish, tears running down his face, "Yuri!? How could you!?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, crying as well.

"Don't worry about that old fool. Once I have her, all will be forgotten." The stairs were close and he followed her up them. Once they got to the top, there was a long hallway and they took a left. The woman's walk was painfully slow, however, as she also appeared to be quite elderly. "Hurry your pace, woman, or I will cut off your legs and make you crawl."

"I-I'm sorry... M-my kn-knees are-"

With a quick slice Hiei cut a long gash in the wall, making the woman flinch and cower. "I will not listen to excuses!" He shouted and finally the woman picked up her pace.

Soon they neared a large door at the end of the hallway. The woman hung her head, tears flowing freely, and her shaking hands signaled to the door. "S-she... the girl... s-she's in there."

"Thank you. You have done well," Hiei replied, opening the door with one swift motion.

The woman fell to her knees and sobbed, "Gods forgive me."

As the doors swung open, a bedroom was revealed. It was well furnished, with large, wide windows, a double bed with satin curtains, and a variety of artwork across the walls. Along the floor lay various things- stuffed animals, a fake crown, some extravagant jewelry, and at the window sat a girl. The girl turned to him- she couldn't have been older than 6 or 7. She had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes and was dressed in frilly white dress.

_Damn it not again_, Hiei thought with a cringe as the young human child began to cry.

Suddenly, the old man from before came barreling down the hallway. In his hands he held a large hunting rifle and he aimed it straight at Hiei. "I will not let you harm Ms. Itou!" he shouted, though his voice betrayed his fear.

Hiei sighed. "Perhaps I should have made myself clear- I meant _the demon girl_."

"Demon girl?" the maid asked, obviously not understanding what he meant.

"Watch out Yuri!" the old man exclaimed. "This man is obviously crazy!"

"I'm not crazy! I'm looking for a girl named Yukina!"

"We don't know any Yukina!" the maid sobbed.

"It's no use Yuri! You can't argue with a madman!" The old man suddenly let off a shot aimed at Hiei's head, but his old hands shook under the weight of the gun and it landed in Hiei's leg instead.

The pain did not phase him, however, and instead he glared at the old man, his Jagan beginning to glow again. "Do you really think your human bullets can stop me?"

"Please Mr. Demon, don't kidnap me!" the young child cried from behind him.

"No, I'm not going to-" Hiei began before another bullet hit him in the shoulder. "DAMN IT WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT!?"

The maid let out a shrill shriek and took off running for her life. Hiei was about to pursue her when the old man let off another shot that landed in the opposite shoulder. He instead focused his attention then on the old man, coming up on him quickly and drawing his sword. "You foolish old man!"

"Run Ms. Itou! Run!" he shouted, dropping the gun as Hiei grabbed him by the collar.

"I have seen the photos. I know this is where Yukina is being held. Stop with your foolish games and I may let you live!"

"We know no Yukina!"

"What did I tell you about lying!?" Hiei shouted.

"Please Mr. Demon! Don't kill him!"

He was about to strike down the old man then and there for making this whole endeavor such a fuss when suddenly something came over him. It was a strange feeling- one he hadn't ever had before. Comforting almost- like a calm wind had washed over him. He could sense a new energy now and though it was not powerful, it resonated with him strongly. It was close.

_They must have removed the barriers,_ Hiei thought, realizing that this must be his sister's energy he was sensing. He dropped the old man to the ground and seemed to disappear, taking off running in the direction of the new energy and leaving behind the crying human child and her old man servant.

After he had left, the old man lay on the ground with the young girl by his side. She was shaking and he gave her a comforting smile. "It's alright, Ms. Itou. You're saf-" The old man suddenly clutched his chest, his eyes going wide- a heart attack.

"Mr. Hatanaka!?" the girl screamed. The light quickly faded from his eyes and the young girl tried to shake him awake, sobbing and frightened. "Mr. Hatanaka, no! Don't leave me!"

Meanwhile, Hiei was in the woods.

**Sakyou**

Sakyou sat in his black leather chair, only this time his view of his project was obscured. Instead, the screen showed the faces of the other main Black Book Club members. Tarukane had contacted them about an hour ago regarding a game. Apparently, the detective had stormed his compound and he and the others were betting on his success. So far Sakyou had been the only one to bet for the intruders and had already amassed a significant amount.

And it was about to get much better. He heard the familiar sound of Hotaru storming her way through his hall. _Just in time._

"Excuse me gentlemen, but I have a visitor. I'll only be a moment," he said, signing out from the conversation causing the digital screen to close. The glass reverted back to being merely a window. Just at that moment, Hotaru pushed her way through the doors. He smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Hotaru. May-"

"- Cut the crap. This is important."

"Oh?"

"I need you to call of Toguro," she said with a scowl.

"Call him off? Call him off what?" Sakyou asked with a look of feigned innocence.

"Yusuke- the spirit detective. Reikai has sent him to pick up that ice girl that Tarukane is holding and unless _you_ call off Toguro, Yusuke's going to die."

"And why should I care about that?"

Her scowl deepened. "I don't need you to _care_, I just need you to _do it_."

"Toguro is not one for walking away from a fight," Sakyou replied simply, turning away to look back through the glass at his project.

Hotaru crossed back into his gaze again. "Well, you're like, his boss or whatever, so can't you just order him to?"

"I'm afraid not," he replied with a laugh. "Toguro works for me, yes, but he does not follow me blindly. Should he object, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"Well can't you at least _try_?"

"It's truly hopeless. He would never agree. As I said, he does not like to walk away from fights..." Sakyou began. Then, he smiled at her. "However, there is a chance he can be persuaded to postpone it."

"Postpone?" Hotaru repeated, appearing hopeful. However, her hopeful look soon fell when she realized what he meant. "Oh no. No fucking way."

"It's the only way I can see Toguro agreeing to let your detective walk away alive. He takes his job quite seriously."

"But what fucking difference does that make?" Hotaru replied, losing her temper ever so slightly. "Yusuke dies now or he dies in two months- either way, I'm fucked. No fucking deal."

"Well then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you," Sakyou responded simply. He tried not to smile, but found himself unable to stop. _Little Hotaru, there's no use in fighting about this. You will agree. I know you will. _

And sure enough, after a few moments of silence, Hotaru spoke up. "Fuck. Fine. FINE!"

It only took her a few moments to draw up a contract. It was riddled with holes, but Sakyou ignored them. He had already gotten what he wanted from the girl. They both put their signatures down and that was that- he had won.

"Excellent. Toguro will be pleased to hear of this."

"Yea, whatever," she replied dismissively. "Yusuke's probably already at the fucking compound now so fucking _call him already_!"

"Oh, there's no need for that."

"No, there is _definitely _need for that," Hotaru replied, pointing to a line on the contract in which it stated that anyone that failed to comply or fulfill their pair of the bargain would be forced to kill themselves. Sakyou knew of the rules with Hotaru's contracts - anything outlined within them was law and was enforced by magic. It was truly an amazing power, or so Sakyou thought, but Hotaru relied on it all too frequently, making her quite easy to manipulate. When it became obvious that he was not moving to make the call, Hotaru matted her fingers in her hair. "Dude, seriously, I'm not fucking kidding. Call the fucker _now_."

"Toguro is already aware."

"Oh, so he's a fucking telepath now?"

"I told him days ago about the possible arrival of the detective and instructed him that should he meet the boy in battle, that he was not allowed to kill him."

It took a few moments for the realization to hit her, but when it did it was _glorious_. "No fucking way... but you said he would never agree to that!"

"Oh Hotaru," Sakyou began, his face growing a wicked grin. "You should never take someone at their word."

"Fuck..." she said quietly her eyes growing wide. She had been trapped and thanks to her little contract, there was no way for her to get out of it. "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! You're going to pay for this!"

"Oh, it's not me who's going to pay," Sakyou cooed as Hotaru stormed out, knocking over whatever was in her path out of spite. Once she was gone, he resumed his teleconference with the club members and lit another cigarette. _This is truly going to be interesting. _

**Hiei**

It was later the same day- Yukina had taken to healing Kuwabara's injuries and Yusuke's as well. Kuwabara seemed utterly infatuated with the young koorime- a fact that infuriated Hiei. He so badly wished to threaten him, to pound his face into the pavement and tell him never to go near his sister again. But, of course, he couldn't do that without drawing suspicion as to why he cared, so instead he stood by watching with fire in his eyes.

Kurama had shown up after the fights had finished to relay messages from Reikai. Apparently, while Yukina would not be punished for crossing into Ningenkai, she was not allowed to stay. They granted her permission to fill temporary immigration forms, since she clearly was nonviolent, but until they were filed she would have to return to Makai.

Hiei briefly entertained the idea of leaving with her- becoming an enemy of Reikai again and escaping to Makai with his sister, never to return. However, he knew that wouldn't do. Even if he did go, it's not like he could stay with Yukina. She'd wonder who he was and he couldn't lie to her forever, especially not if it was just the two of them on the run.

Watching her now, Hiei felt unbearably strange. She was laughing and smiling, enamored with the forest surrounding the compound, seemingly happy despite the ordeal she had just been freed from. She had stated, when questioned by Kuwabara, that she liked humans and for the life of him, Hiei couldn't figure out why. Truly, the girl seemed to love all things- she even thanked Hiei for his mercy towards that monster Tarukane.

She wasn't what he had expected, certainly. He remembered koorime, at least vaguely from the time of his birth, and he had met them once again only a few years past. They were truly cold creatures. They all had a frigidity to them that went beyond their simple affinity for ice. They were not like Kurama and his coldness- not calculating or difficult to understand. They were merely unfeeling, unresponsive, and felt as though each were its own isolated being completely unaware of anyone's existence but their own. They were dead women trapped inside bodies of the living.

But this girl was different. Truthfully, Hiei had hoped that she would be- that perhaps some of the blood that made him so different had transfered to her within the womb. Perhaps that blood, his father's blood, had given her life that the other koorime lacked. However, koorime reproduced daughters asexually while boys, like him, were produced sexually. Hiei didn't understand the science behind it but it certainly seemed to him that Yukina, were he to find her, would be no different than their mother and in turn no different that the hollow shells that populated the floating fortress of Hyouga.

However, she was. She was not like him, of course, but she was certainly no koorime. Her eyes had life and her voice was joyful. She not only recognized the world around her but loved it- even the fool Kuwabara that Hiei had so grown to hate.

As he watched her play with the birds he felt a sort of sadness come over him. Even the sparrows, those tiny, defenseless creatures, felt comfortable in her presence, yet Hiei found himself terrified. He did not know why- surely he had nothing to fear from her. She was far too weak to hurt him and quite obviously to kind to even try.

_"You may never tell your sister who you are_._" _

The words rang in his head like an incessant bell, only growing louder when he attempted to push them away. He didn't care about staying true to his word- he had already gotten what he wanted from Shigure. Even if he told her, or told all of the three worlds, there was nothing the demonic surgeon could do to stop him.

Nevertheless, the words rang on.

_"You may never tell your sister who you are."_

As he watched Yukina, with the small birds perched on her finger tips, Yusuke approached him with a wide grin. Hiei never understood what that boy was so happy about all the time, but he had to admit that he liked the boy's optimism. It was a refreshing change from the dreary, hateful fools he had spent his life around.

"Some family reunion, huh?" Yusuke said, patting Hiei on the back.

Hiei bristled at his touch, but remained otherwise stoic. "Who informed you? If it was Kurama, I swear I'll kill him."

"Hah, it was Koenma. He said so on that tape you gave me."

"I didn't see that part."

"What?"

"Nothing." Hiei turned his gaze away, from both Yusuke and Yukina. "Do not tell Yukina that I'm her brother."

"What? Why?"

"Yukina doesn't know who I am and she doesn't need to know," he stated calmly. "If we didn't have the same mother, she wouldn't have ever left her world. I learned of her disappearance two years ago. She ran away and the animals outside her territory gambled with her life. Every rumor I followed to find her was darker than the next. Which of them hold true I do not know, but if any of them are then she's suffered too much."

Yusuke looked sullen. Hiei doubted if he had ever realized that this sort of event, this sort of mindless torture and abuse, was common place within Makai and even more commonplace for demons that stepped into the Ningenkai realm.

"And your Jagan?" Yusuke began. "Was it for her?"

"Drop it."

Thankfully, Yusuke did. "That was good of you to spare Tarukane like that," he said with a smile. "If you killed a human we'd be forced to arrest you! We wondered what would happen..."

"I'm not an idiot," Hiei replied, a touch more angrily than he had wished.

"Still though," Yusuke continued. "If someone did that to my mom I'd want to kill him, no question."

"Yukina is safe. That's all that matters," Hiei replied with one last, sad look at the kind-hearted koorime. He then walked away, unwilling to continue this conversation further. He had no intention of spilling his secrets to this detective or crying about how unfair the world was. So long as he knew he was not to inform Yukina of Hiei's true relationship to her, then that was enough.

As he walked away, the strange feeling from before dissipated and was replaced with a more familiar sense of emptiness. He had found the girl, but nothing had really changed. She was still oblivious to his identity and would be leaving within the hour.

He had always thought that he would tell her. True, he had told Shigure that he had no intention of it, and at the time he hadn't. At that time all he wanted was revenge- to find Hyouga and slay all those that lived upon it, even his sister, for she was of the same evil blood that had cast him down all those years ago. It was only after he learned of her disappearance that he began to question this.

If she ran away, left that cursed island in search of something greater, then surely she couldn't be entirely like her koorime brethren. Something about her must be different and Hiei had been determined to find her and to find out what. Truthfully, all he wanted to do was tell her. He wanted to know what she'd say, or how she'd react. Would she be happy? Would she hate him? Would she try to kill him herself, to finish the job her people had started all those years ago?

Now that he had met her he thought he might have found his answer, but he dare not test the theory.

As he was caught up in his thoughts, Kurama appeared beside him. The stupid fox was always sneaking up on him, trying to catch him unawares. Hiei sensed that he got some sick pleasure out of it and normally would be rather enraged by this fact, but today he didn't have the energy to care.

"She's leaving in twenty minutes," Kurama said. Hiei did not respond. The sooner she left, the better- with her around the temptation to test his theory might grow too great. "You're afraid to speak to her," he said in a tone that implied it was not a question.

"I'm not afraid," Hiei replied simply. "I just know better than to think she'd take the news gladly."

"She deserves to know she has a brother."

Hiei stopped and fell silent. Perhaps the girl did deserve to know the truth- if she survived her ordeal then she was surely strong enough to handle it. However, Hiei quickly pushed that thought from his mind. The truth was not always easy to hear.

"You'll regret it if you miss your chance."

"I'll regret it if I do."

"And why is that?"

"Tch. You wouldn't get it," Hiei replied, taking up his walk again.

The fox would not relent however. "A criminal past is nothing to be ashamed of, Hiei. If the girl has been on the road for this long, it's likely she's committed a few herself. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid!" Hiei shouted suddenly. He turned back to the fox, his eyes glaring dangerously and his Jagan glowing from beneath it's bandage. "I have done worse than kill a few bandits in my day, Kurama."

"As have we all. I-"

"- I killed my mother."

Those few words forced the fox into silence. Hiei had always known the fox to underestimate him, to treat him like a child. He figured because he was older, perhaps wiser, that he thought he knew all there was to know about Hiei and Hiei had never bothered to correct him until now. Truthfully, it was the first time Hiei had ever willingly admitted that fact to anyone, but speaking the truth did not comfort him.

"Hiei... I..."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Hiei spat before the fox could get any strange ideas about his character. "She died while giving birth. It's what happens to koorime when they give birth to male children."

Kurama looked shocked and Hiei couldn't really blame him. Nevertheless, he hoped he had finally settled the matter and turned to leave again.

Unfortunately, the fox was stubborn. "I understand what it's like to be death of someone you care about."

"I don't give a shit about that woman."

Kurama grabbed him by the arm and forced him to turn back. Hiei wanted to cut him down then and there, but felt too weak to do so. Instead he was forced to look into the eyes of Kurama- piercing green and filled with pity. Hiei hated it.

"You may be ashamed of what has happened," Kurama began. "But that is no reason to turn away from your sister. She will love you regardless, I can promise you that. I've done the same- made similar mistakes and I still feel the weight of them now. But the love of a family can overcome those things, Hiei, you must understand that."

The fox was so deep in his own delusions that it made Hiei sick. He sneered at him spitefully, his annoyance plain in both his face and his tone. "I bet your human mother knows all about those mistakes, doesn't she?"

And finally, Kurama left him alone.

**Hotaru**

"This is all your fault, you know."

"_My_ fault?"

"Yes, _your_ fault," Hotaru spat.

Inari stood next to her, dressed in his typical fine attire, and scowled. "You really need to stop blaming your problems on everyone else. It's unbecoming."

"Hiei never should have been with those guys in the first place," Hotaru replied, returning his scowl. In her hand she held a glass of champagne and she was dressed in similarly fine clothes- a suit, though tailored to fit a female form. They stood inside a grand hall that was filled with similarly well dressed people- all of them rich and talking amongst themselves about god knows what. Yachts or some shit, probably.

Inari simply smiled and shrugged. "It couldn't be helped. Besides, it's your fault he was in prison in the first place. You should have just let him kill that detective and been on with it."

"I couldn't do that and you know it," Hotaru retorted. He may have been her closest friend, but it seemed like Inari never bothered to listen.

Inari shook his head, obviously exasperated by Hotaru and her numerous problems. "I told you to avoid those demon lords. They're terrible beings, demons... well, _all _lesser beings are pretty terrible, but demons are by far the worst."

"Don't be an asshole," Hotaru spat back. Inari frequently liked to criticize anyone that wasn't a god, and sometimes even other gods as well- it was an annoying habit of his that Hotaru was not fond of.

"You must admit I'm right though," he replied with a smile. "You're getting in over your head, Hotaru."

"I'm not getting in over my head," she snapped back.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, _really_!"

"So I'm guessing this was just a part of your master plan, then?" Inari replied with a laugh.

"Yusuke can handle this guy," Hotaru stated firmly, though she wasn't quite sure if she believed it herself. Two months couldn't possibly make that big of a difference. "It'll be fine. I'll make it be fine."

"And how will you do that?"

"I don't know yet!" she shouted, drawing attention from the high class crowd that surrounded them. She cringed and looked away, returning her voice to a whisper. "I don't have any other options, so I have to do this and I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't be a dick about it."

"Fine, do what you must," Inari replied. "But if you get yourself killed over this stupid little halfling I'll go to the underworld and pull you back out myself."

"Glad to know I have insurance."

"That's not what I meant!"

Hotaru laughed, poking him in the ribs. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse." She downed the rest of her champagne in a single glup, handing the glass to Inari who took it with a look of indignation.

"Am I your maid now?"

"Just hold it for a bit. I have to go make the announcement."

"Good luck," Inari cooed as she moved her way through the crowd of well dressed men and women. She neared a long marble staircase and ascended. With every step she found herself getting more and more pissed off- Sakyou had truly fucked her this time around. Inari was right- she probably didn't have any way to get out of this now. All her cards were on Yusuke and his stupid little friends- even Kurama, a fact which she utterly abhorred. She would have to rely on them and that was something that she was quite unused to.

It took her about ten minutes to find the door she was looking for. As she entered, she spied the conference table, around which sat about twenty men- the key members of the Black Book Club. All of them seemed happy to see her- particularly Sakyou who sat at the end of the table with a grin on his face. She wanted to smack him, but held herself back and instead took her seat at the head of the table. As she did, the men stopped their chattering and went silent, looking at her with anticipation.

She took a deep breath and began, all the while keeping her gaze away from Sakyou. "It goes without saying that without all of you, the Black Book Club would be merely another gambling den, rather than the grand symbol of cooperative efforts that it has become. I would therefore like to first and foremost thank you all for your continued service to this organization and your continued hard work towards one day reaching our goal of a safe and prosperous human realm."

The room erupted into polite applause and once it had quieted, Hotaru continued. "As you all know quite well, the back bone of our organization is our yearly tournament. For years now, however, it has suffered- it has become monotonous and, sadly, quite predictable. I seek to end that monotony and bring about an event that will draw in a larger audience and, with that, larger profits."

Her eyes met with Sakyou's- he was grinning still, as he had been moments ago, and Hotaru felt sick to her stomach. She was playing into his hands and they both knew it, but she had no choice now. If she didn't, she would be forced to kill herself, as per the terms of her own stupidly written contract. He had won the battle, but Hotaru was going to make damn sure that he didn't win the war. She took one more deep breath before looking back at the room at large and spoke with a conviction that did not betray her inner turmoil.

"Yusuke Urameshi, Hiei the Jaganshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, and Kurama, otherwise known as Shuuichi Minamino, all of Team Urameshi, will be this year's Dark Tournament invitees."

**To Be Continued in Gan Arc II: The Ankoku Tournament**

* * *

Toukyuu Saizoku - 脳吸災賊 - Mind Sucking Traitor's Bane - a Makai variety of annual flowering plant. Requires highly specialized tools to cultivate, including the Goshubachi (五種鉢), the Meigetsukin (名月琴), and the Fujinchou (夫人彫), among others.


End file.
